http://kimmcdougall.com/Kim McDougall BooksVivitiCMS2024-03-15T06:52:00-04:00Kim McDougall Bookstag:kimmcdougall.com,2024-03-13:/entries/6226e16c-4316-47ef-815c-491c1756d515Valkyrie Bestiary Cage Fight Finals2024-03-15T06:52:00-04:002024-03-18T14:12:31-04:00<div>That's a little snippet I found while editing <em>Worlds Don't Collide</em> today. I'm deep in the edits now and it's all coming together nicely. I can't wait to show it off! <br>
<a href="https://geni.us/9-WDCebook" target="_blank"><strong>Pre-order the eBook now!</strong></a>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/23e6e59e-5c6b-4a7d-9d4f-a4e32172999b/750;450;a1671a7c31fd27b21caeab30ad909859fc4c1a2d.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/23e6e59e-5c6b-4a7d-9d4f-a4e32172999b/750;450;a1671a7c31fd27b21caeab30ad909859fc4c1a2d.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
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<br>
In the mean time, the big news is about the Valkyrie Bestiary Cage Fights. For the past 30 weeks we’ve seen battles of brawn, cunning, and adorableness! Starting this week are the battles for supremacy in 3 categories:<br>
<br>
<strong>March 14: Light Weight Title: Master of the Inbetween (Pooka vs Unicorn)<br>
March 15: Adorable Weight Title: Ultimate Inbetween Cutie Patootie (Ollie vs Hunter)<br>
March 16: Heavy Weight Title: Supreme Valkyrie Beast - (Grimalkin vs Kyra)</strong><br>
<br>
These are the finalists, chosen by your votes over the last half a year. Let’s give them a big round of applause! Voting happens only on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank">VB Discussion Group on Facebook</a>. <br>
<br>
The finals will run a bit differently. Instead of giving a week for each fight, the 3 battles will be posted March 14, 15 and 16. All the fights will close on Friday, March 22 at 3pm, with the winners announced that evening.<br>
<br>
As always, we are lucky to have some amazing sponsors for the final fights. Thank you to Jen B. Green, G. Clatworthy, Dahlia T. Drake & Isa Medina for offering ebook prizes. I will add Judge’s Choice awards in the form of audiobooks. And the prize for the last fight (Heavy Weight Division) will be a signed paperback prize pack that includes a Bookseat, an Ollie t-shirt and a felt Hunter (made by me).</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/334339e9-4d93-4a80-a816-06c047338faa/cropped/400;400;e56419959795f791eaba72a62b3ba9fc0309beda.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/334339e9-4d93-4a80-a816-06c047338faa/cropped/400;400;e56419959795f791eaba72a62b3ba9fc0309beda.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
<div> <br>
I hope you'll join in for this fun event!</div>
<h3>Publishing News</h3>
<div>If you don't like to know how the magic is made in the publishing industry, I suggest you skip this section. But I wanted to give an update about an article from a previous blog. <br>
<br>
A few weeks ago, I posted and article about the problems with Audible and how I was pleased that Spotify had entered the audiobook market, with hopes that they would become real competition for Amazon/Audilbe. Weeeeeel, it seems I spoke too fast. There's been a couple of rather huge developments to this story. <br>
<br>
<strong>SpotifyGate 2024</strong><br>
<br>
Findaway Voices is the audiobook distributer that was purchased by Spotify (and the one I use to distribute my audiobooks). In February, Findaway Voices quietly sent out an email memo to say that they were updating their terms of service to be more in line with Spotify's general terms. Authors didn't have to do anything, but it would be assumed they agreed to the new terms if they continued with the service. <br>
<br>
Not a big deal. Nobody actually reads the terms of service, right? Well, someone did. And within hours, every online author group I belong to was blowing up with the news. The new terms were very far-reaching and included wording that seemed to give Spotify permission (among other things) to use our audiobooks for AI training without our knowledge and to sell our content to third parties without our knowledge or without compensation. <br>
<br>
Thousands of authors immediately shot off emails to Findaway, only to get an automated response saying they were experiencing higher than average support calls. I bet. Within a day, Spotify/Findaway issued new terms with markedly better wording to avoid all the hoopla. It's wonderful to see what a community can do when they act together. <br>
<br>
Are the new terms perfect? No. But a perusal of other terms (ie, from Google Play and Audible) have shown me that there is no perfect in this situation. Regardless, many authors (myself included) have been left with a poor view of Spotify/Findaway who seemed to have been trying to make a big grab, and have shown little remorse (except for getting caught). Many dumped Findaway on the spot.<br>
<br>
So what's the answer? I have no idea. For now, I will be keeping my audiobooks with Spotify/Findaway until I can find an alternative that proves significantly better. <br>
<br>
One piece of good news is that Audible is supposed to be changing their draconian policies that leave authors with only 25% of the pie for audiobooks. Brandon Sanderson has been a big advocate in this case. He used his star power for good and pushed Audible for more equitable terms for all authors. Thank you, Brandon! You can read the article on this topic on his website <a href="https://www.brandonsanderson.com/regarding-audible/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. <br>
<br>
No one is sure what these new terms are yet, but you can be sure the whole author community will be watching closely. </div>
<h3>
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Book Fairs & Events</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/action-adventure-fantasy/mopnmapzj6"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/6a6b0cb2-6497-42b8-9bc6-acd558a089a6/600;204;f0385e713a69bb9a1926a257a45a5ce85cb61452.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/6a6b0cb2-6497-42b8-9bc6-acd558a089a6/600;204;f0385e713a69bb9a1926a257a45a5ce85cb61452.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/fantasyscifimarch/ebtg8ucdzy"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/925e714e-2f6e-4a21-97f2-755ec47f6048/600;200;13aaa8efc0795142cf50486cf47159b570eff4ac.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/925e714e-2f6e-4a21-97f2-755ec47f6048/600;200;13aaa8efc0795142cf50486cf47159b570eff4ac.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a>
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<div> </div>
<h3>Spotlight Books</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://readerlinks.com/l/3642470"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/bb80d825-d2c8-4c53-81bc-5dc64f7d963f/600;900;5c6692baca5880bddffabe5cc6bd30a413a2ff92.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/bb80d825-d2c8-4c53-81bc-5dc64f7d963f/600;900;5c6692baca5880bddffabe5cc6bd30a413a2ff92.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<strong>Brimstone Burglar<br>
Riley Cruz Book 2<br>
L.A. McBride</strong><br>
<br>
Turns out, the only difference between a felony and acquisitions is who’s bankrolling my heist.<br>
<br>
I’m about to go from scrounging up enough tip money to make rent to pulling six figures. I’ll finally put those years stealing for my old alpha to good use. Only this time, I’ll be the one calling the shots. My crew. My way.<br>
<br>
When a witch starts dabbling in forbidden magic, the Enclave sends me after the demon artifact fueling her power. The job should be simple, except they can’t point me to the culprit or tell me what I’m after.<br>
<br>
To make matters worse, they’ve teamed me up with the alpha tracking the witch. Max Volkov was supposed to be my no-strings-attached one-night stand, not my partner. He likes making the rules almost as much as I like breaking them. To get this job done though, we’ll have to work together.<br>
<br>
With vampires after my prize, an old enemy gunning for me, and someone trying to take out my crew, I need to find that artifact fast. Something tells me it’s going to take a lot more than a fancy new job title and the Enclave’s backing to keep us all alive.<br>
<br>
<a href="https://readerlinks.com/l/3642470">Get Brimstone Burglar Now</a>
</div>
tag:kimmcdougall.com,2024-02-29:/entries/29b283a0-b0ab-4a87-b6d2-11d5a2d0e809Worlds Don't Collide Paperback Cover Reveal & Snippet2024-03-01T05:25:00-05:002024-03-11T08:25:41-04:00<div>Yesterday, I officially finished the first draft of <em>Worlds Don't Collide</em>, the final book in the Valkyrie Bestiary Series. The writing of this one started of at top speed. I wrote the first half in record time. But the second half has been like opening a vein and writing in my own blood. The words just don't want to come and I think that's because I don't want to let go of Kyra and the family I created over 9 books. It makes me sniffle like Gita! <br>
<br>
But I did it, and I'm happy with the draft. It needs a lot of work because I'm always a messy first drafter. But after 9 books, editing no longer frightens me. I actually look forward to this process, which I estimate will take about a month. <br>
<br>
In the last newsletter I shared the cover reveal for <em>Worlds Don't Collide</em>, which will be releasing on June 6th. This time I want to share the full paperback wrap cover so you can see the rest of the amazing art created by Kayla Schweisberger. Look at those opji bloodsuckers!<br>
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And keep scrolling for a little snippet from the unedited draft.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/1f7c47b7-9ea7-497c-b748-51f6b7ea1d6d/800;568;98e9ea24d17d3627a958db53b0e05d2154d68ae0.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/1f7c47b7-9ea7-497c-b748-51f6b7ea1d6d/800;568;98e9ea24d17d3627a958db53b0e05d2154d68ae0.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
<div> </div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Worlds-Don-t-Collide">Pre-order the eBook now!</a></h4>
<div> <br>
Here's an unedited snippet from Worlds Don't Collide. I say “unedited” because I'm still working on the rough draft and things can change from first to final draft. So please excuse any typos at this early point.<br>
_____________________<br>
<br>
“It’s Saturday and the sun isn’t even up yet. Why are you?” I asked Raven.<br>
<br>
“I just thought I could, you know, help with chores. Get them done faster.” He took a bite of a toast and tossed the crust at Princess who snapped it out of the air like a croc snatching a bird.<br>
<br>
I squinted at Raven. He gazed at me with innocent eyes. Something was going on here. Raven never volunteered for chores.<br>
<br>
“You promised him some driving time today,” Gita said. Her voice was raspy.<br>
<br>
Of course. Raven would turn sixteen in March. He’d just earned his learner’s permit and was eager to start driving. The gods were shaking the world, but teenagers were still teenagers. The thought actually gave me some bit of comfort.<br>
<br>
The world would go on.<br>
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“I’ll take you out after breakfast. But that means you have to help with the feedings, and…”<br>
Raven was already putting his coat on and disappearing out the back door with Princess jumping at his heels.<br>
<br>
“…and clean the cages!” I called after him.<br>
<br>
Gita sniffed. “I can feed the little ones. Been doing it for almost ten years, you know.”<br>
<br>
“I know. But I want you to rest today. That…episode was scary last night.” The memory of Gita’s unending wail still brought shivers. She poured herself more tea and dumped in a good dollop of honey.<br>
<br>
“Can you tell me what happened?” I asked softly. “Grim called it a breaking.”<br>
<br>
“That’s as good a description as any.” Gita sipped her tea and watched the sky lighten outside the window.<br>
<br>
I prodded her. “You said it was a death but also a birth. How is that possible?”<br>
<br>
“Don’t know.” She sniffed. “I felt the land die. And I felt it reborn. At the same time.” Another longer sniffle. “It shouldn’t be possible, but there it is.” She laid her open hands on the table and stared at them as if the answers could be found in the wrinkles of her skin.<br>
<br>
The death and birth of Earth. Could she mean Terra? I sighed. Of course it was about Terra. <br>
<br>
Critter wrangler rule #23: When the gods come knocking, don’t answer the door.<br>
</div>
<h3>Book Fairs & Events</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/fantasyscifiboxsets/s8tit3xfo1"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/3601824b-b806-4831-b56f-13cf75f14ebe/600;200;dcf7d614a0572f46bd503da5d26e62384fe276ef.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/3601824b-b806-4831-b56f-13cf75f14ebe/600;200;dcf7d614a0572f46bd503da5d26e62384fe276ef.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<br>
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/seriesstartersinfantasy/8t62xtvu8z"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/e74fb330-377e-4f72-9d33-0f89b2d14bea/600;225;70d40d4e896eda280ec3d18050fa8a059af38bf8.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/e74fb330-377e-4f72-9d33-0f89b2d14bea/600;225;70d40d4e896eda280ec3d18050fa8a059af38bf8.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<br>
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/marchfantasyreadingbinge/du5hsw2qc6"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/697fa14d-34d5-4864-b3da-6e1e4be8768c/600;204;99682b741ef4276a17a9d419f58d6677341388b6.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/697fa14d-34d5-4864-b3da-6e1e4be8768c/600;204;99682b741ef4276a17a9d419f58d6677341388b6.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
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<h3>
<br>
Spotlight Books</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.books2read.com/ashuanlust1"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/387455e5-0f5d-4ce4-a74b-6fe750a7fb03/600;900;1eb3834e36cb3ea1efc886e6d2ac8f1a9597601e.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/387455e5-0f5d-4ce4-a74b-6fe750a7fb03/600;900;1eb3834e36cb3ea1efc886e6d2ac8f1a9597601e.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<strong>Hell Hath no Fury: Ashuan Lust 1<br>
Janna Ruth</strong><br>
<br>
Hell hath no fury like a brother scorned<br>
<br>
Last year was hell. And Matt grew up there. Just as he's begun to learn what it means to be human, his demon mother tempts him with a life-changing offer. Problem is, he’s not the only one she’s offered it to.<br>
<br>
As Matt returns to Greenvalley for another year of school, love, and monster hunts, his half-brothers are out for blood. One has a thousand years more experience than him, while the other hunts humans for sport.<br>
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With his friends caught in the crossfire, lying low is not an option. But to accept the challenge, he’ll have to give up his hard-fought humanity, and with that, his life in Greenvalley, his friends, and the human girl he's somehow fallen in love with.<br>
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Hell Hath no Fury is the fourth book of the action-packed Ashuan series, kicking off the Ashuan Lust trilogy. If you like Buffy’s wit and snarky one-liners, the magic of Charmed, and the supernatural drama of the Vampire Diaries, you’ll love this monster-hunter urban fantasy series.<br>
<br>
<a href="https://www.books2read.com/ashuanlust1"><strong>Get Hell Hath no Fury Now</strong></a><br>
<br>
<a href="https://books2read.com/u/bwBeLO"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/336b5fce-ba66-48d0-a670-55a381187489/600;900;48be4b4c056e8e3d6bdd285b25b84c91cdda8541.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/336b5fce-ba66-48d0-a670-55a381187489/600;900;48be4b4c056e8e3d6bdd285b25b84c91cdda8541.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<strong>Midnight Waters<br>
Rosie Wylor-Owen</strong><br>
<br>
“In my family, when someone is born, another will die.”<br>
<br>
A symbiotic curse has plagued the Arrowood and Everhart households for generations. When a new baby is born, a member of the ancient clans die. Only a truce between the warring families can break the deadly hex once and for all.<br>
<br>
Upon hearing her cousin is in labour, Maeve Arrowood hurries home to find out which one of them will be next. But the loss of her uncle is the least of her worries when a young man is found dead in the sea under suspicious circumstances. Called in by the police, Maeve has no option but to reprise her role as a scuba diving police consultant to retrieve the body.<br>
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Unwittingly drawn into the investigation, Maeve is forced to work with the odiously handsome Ben Everhart. Obliged to put aside their differences, Maeve and Ben soon discover that a far deadlier danger has descended on the island of Dusk.<br>
<br>
One that could destroy both families forever.<br>
<br>
<a href="https://books2read.com/u/bwBeLO"><strong>Get Midnight Waters Now</strong></a>
</div>
tag:kimmcdougall.com,2024-02-15:/entries/81839ec0-6048-4ffa-bf8a-5e578b9a3fb1Valkyrie Bestiary Book 9 Cover Reveal2024-02-16T02:48:00-05:002024-03-15T08:39:29-04:00<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/98c85167-9047-4c1d-bb2a-45e267d45d22/600;561;a9b6ec2e4b8fb3ec178ca39d11413282691836fc.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/98c85167-9047-4c1d-bb2a-45e267d45d22/600;561;a9b6ec2e4b8fb3ec178ca39d11413282691836fc.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
<div>
<br>
I'm super excited to reveal the new cover for Valkyrie Bestiary Book 9! Isn't it beautiful! The artist, Kayla Schweisberger, really outdid herself this time. <br>
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<strong>With the cover ready, that means pre-orders are up! Release date is June 6, 2024. Here's a little blurb:</strong><br>
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<span style="color:#3F51B7">Kyra has been charged with a sacred duty—to wipe every filthy, blood-sucking vampire off the face of Terra’s earth. Starting a war with the vamps means she needs help, but her allies are scattered and squabbling amongst themselves.<br>
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When the vampires attack Montreal and Kyra’s family is threatened, she has no choice but to start the fight that will change their lives and the very shape of their worlds forever.<br>
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<em>Worlds Don’t Collide</em> is the exciting conclusion to the Valkyrie Bestiary Series. </span><br>
<br>
<a href="https://geni.us/9-WDCebook" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:impact,serif">Pre-order the eBook now!</span><span style="font-family:impact,serif"></span></a><br>
<br>
As always, I discount the pre-orders so that you, my loyal readers, can save a some $. The price will go up to regular price on launch day. Amazon does not easily allow for paperback pre-orders, so I will make the paperback available a few days ahead of the ebook so that everyone can enjoy it at about the same time. <br>
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On that note, I promised in the last post to talk about the cost of doing business in the publishing world with all those crazy-making problems that come from book pirates and ridiculous Amazon policies. If you missed that article, you can view it <a href="https://kimmcdougall.com/entries/publishing/Book-Dragon-is-tired" target="_blank">HERE</a>. I still plan to discuss this topic, but not today. Today, I'm too excited about my shiny new cover!<br>
<br>
So stay tuned for more book talk from the book dragon at a later date. And because there was such a huge response to last week's article, I'd like to throw out another offer to you. I usually do an Ask-me-anything night on FB during new book launches, but I thought it would be interesting to do it here too. <br>
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Many of you might not know that for years, I taught seminars at local libraries on writing and book marketing. I've been in this industry for a long, long time. So, hit me with your burning questions about writing or publishing, and I'll try to answer some of them in upcoming newsletters. You can reply right in the comments below!<br>
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Alternately, for those who don't want to look behind the curtain at how the magic is made, ask me anything about the Valkyrie Bestiary Series. Is there a detail that you want clarified? Do you want to know more about a favorite critter or character? Ask away and I'll include these in future newsletters too. All questions will be posted anonymously, so don't be shy! Once again, you can reply right in the comments below.<br>
</div>
<h3>Book Fairs & Events</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/february-fantasy-and-sci-fi-mania/6mnkoja4t0"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/f0313be3-3584-4e08-9017-df0bf21a9594/600;300;1ad39a11826615c41836fa4b363b065dfeb007a1.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/f0313be3-3584-4e08-9017-df0bf21a9594/600;300;1ad39a11826615c41836fa4b363b065dfeb007a1.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
</div>
<h3>Spotlight Books</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">I've been thoroughly enjoying Jilleen Dolbeare's Splintered Magic Series. <em>Splintered Destiny</em> marks the series as complete! <br>
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<a href="https://books2read.com/Splintered-Destiny?store=amazon"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/c134af5d-42a4-4d4a-9d7b-083e5a6a12a9/600;900;3fde8bc898e00ece4b06f76646555385d2baa87d.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/c134af5d-42a4-4d4a-9d7b-083e5a6a12a9/600;900;3fde8bc898e00ece4b06f76646555385d2baa87d.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<strong>Splintered Destiny<br>
Jilleen Dolbeare</strong><br>
<br>
Brigid is fighting for her business and her life on two fronts. First, the vampires want her gone so they can have the territory to control. Second the griffins are suspicious and hanging around. She promised her griffin friend she'd keep her babies a secret, and she's kept that promise, but the time is coming where it might not be possible anymore.<br>
<br>
She's already had to shut down her inn once she realized she couldn't protect her clients. But she's fed up, done, finished with all the stress. She has thirteen elements to command, friends, allies, and a powerful Splintercat. It's time to take the fight to the enemy, and take back what's hers.<br>
<br>
Stand in her way, that will be fun. Best case scenario, she deals with you on her own—worst case? She lets her cat do it.<br>
<br>
Get <a href="https://books2read.com/Splintered-Destiny?store=amazon">Splintered Destiny</a> Now</div>
tag:kimmcdougall.com,2024-02-01:/entries/87d323e9-6b8d-4c2b-bca7-a1576a581c53Book Dragon is tired2024-02-02T04:14:00-05:002024-03-11T08:25:41-04:00<div>**squeeee** I'm doing a happy dance because I just saw the mockups for the cover of <em>Worlds Don’t Collide</em>, Valkyrie Bestiary Book 9, and Kayla Schweisberger has outdone herself! I can’t wait to show it to you, hopefully in the next newsletter. Such a tease, I know.<br>
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Other than that excitement, this has been a week of writing, writing, writing, plus the busy work of publishing, and not the fun kind—the kind that makes me feel like I’ve been spinning my wheels and not accomplishing a lot. Among other things, I decided to take down Kyra’s fictional blog. Well, not take it down entirely, but all the text is gone. I left only the images because I know people like to see the critters. I’ll explain why I did this in a moment.<br>
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One of my mandates of this newsletter is to let you, the reader, get a peek behind the curtains of the publishing world. I try to be as transparent as possible about my publishing choices and obstacles, so you can make informed decisions about your purchasing power. And yes, the choice you make in buying books is a great power (book dragon says you are a superhero!).<br>
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So let me explain the events that led up to my decision to remove the blog.<br>
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Like all industries, the publishing world has its quirks and pitfalls that can snag unsuspecting authors. But even seasoned authors who have been around for a long time can fall into the pit of Amazon hell and be left there to rot. This past week, author and amazing advocate for indie authors, <a href="https://www.rachelrener.com" target="_blank">Rachel Rener</a>, had her book removed from Amazon for no apparent reason. She received an automated message saying her book, Jinxed, violated Amazon guidelines because it was widely available on the internet and this causes a poor experience for buyers. Like my books, Jinxed is in the Kindle Unlimited program. This means the ebook must be exclusive to Amazon. Of course, Amazon allows excerpting for review and promotional purposes—up to 10% of the book.<br>
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When authors receive a letter such as this it is usually because of pirated books, something completely outside the author’s control. Rachel eventually got a response from Amazon (after many tries). Here’s the response she got:<br>
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<img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/509a8fb2-08b8-4b67-bf87-126ff2046a63/400;203;d3f72126038ad395ba4055ac9c313610ae7b783c.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/509a8fb2-08b8-4b67-bf87-126ff2046a63/400;203;d3f72126038ad395ba4055ac9c313610ae7b783c.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"><br>
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That website they cited is a valid review site. Nothing hokey going on there. But the Zon bots flagged it and now the onus was on Rachel to prove her copyright status. Guilty until proven innocent.<br>
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Rachel did eventually get her book reinstated. She was lucky. Every week, I read about indie authors who get flagged by these bots and have their books removed, or worse, get their accounts shut down entirely. Often they have little recourse to contest the ruling because it’s near impossible to actually speak to a human at the Kindle Direct Publishing help desk.<br>
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Rachel's letter to Jeff Bezos really resonated with me. Rachel said, <em>“I was once in an abusive relationship and I am not exaggerating when I say that working with Amazon gives me PTSD. I'm forced into a relationship that causes me inordinate amounts of stress - like my actual earnings being 20% different than the estimated royalties, or having my page read payouts be slashed again and again to fractions of pennies, and now this - some sort of sick guessing game where I have to figure out what I did wrong or continue to suffer.”</em><br>
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This is exactly it. Getting shut down is every author’s worst nightmare. If Zon shut my account, I would no longer be able to write because the main part of my income would disappear in a flash. I would be forced to do something else. It’s an axe that hangs over me and all indie authors every day—a dread that never goes away. Will I be the next one Zon picks on for no reason? Will I have my livelihood snatched away without reason and without recourse for fixing it?<br>
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And so, even though the posts on Kyra’s blog are tiny excerpts that are well below Zon’s excerpt guideline limit, I shut it down. It’s just not worth the risk to me.<br>
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It also means that I spent the good part of the week with busy work, redoing the site, checking pirate sites for my books, getting copyrights for recent books, and verifying all the affiliate links on my author website. Busy work that I could have spent better elsewhere.<br>
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I’m sure I will get questions about this, and I welcome them. I’ll answer a few that have popped up already in previous chats.<br>
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<strong>Q: Will you continue to keep your books in the Kindle Unlimited program?</strong><br>
A: Yes. I committed the series to KU, and even with the Zon axe hanging over my head, I feel it isn’t fair to KU readers to snatch it away before the series ends. Also, right now, KU makes up 60-70% of my royalties. That makes it hard to ignore. But I believe that the readership in KU is a pool that has finite possibilities. My plan has always been to leave the Valkyrie Bestiary Series in KU until it is finished. Then, after a few months, move it to a wide distribution. When the series is selling through a wide distribution, I will rebuild Kyra’s blog.<br>
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<strong>Q: Should I get rid of my KU subscription?</strong><br>
A: No! I love KU and have a subscription myself. And I understand that for some people who read dozens of books a month, KU is the only way to keep up with books. Zon’s exclusivity rules may be draconian, but they only really become an issue when they let internet bots make decisions that should be made by a rational human. AI isn’t that sophisticated yet! But if you want your book dollars to matter, you might consider other buying options in addition to KU.<br>
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In the next blog, I plan to talk some more about these issues, including the real dollar cost of all this busy work. I’d love to answer some of your questions in the newsletter too. Feel free to respond right in the comments. <br>
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<h3>Valkyrie Bestiary Cage Fights</h3>
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<strong>Semifinal Extravaganza!</strong><br>
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<img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/ee9dd6dd-d81d-45a7-9933-fefccdfa21b3/550;403;b4c991ca8e7a5e29f0ab669a47ae182c19591290.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/ee9dd6dd-d81d-45a7-9933-fefccdfa21b3/550;403;b4c991ca8e7a5e29f0ab669a47ae182c19591290.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"><br>
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<strong>Semi-final Week 5: Heavy Weight Division—Supreme Valkyrie Beast <br>
Draika vs Dragon</strong><br>
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Two dragons: one master of the sea, the other master of the sky. Sort of makes me think of a crocodile fighting an eagle, but bigger. Badder. Let’s assume that this fight allows both contestants to showcase their skills. The dragon will have to take a swim to fight the draika, but if he can pull that water dragon out of his element…it’s anyone’s battle! You decide the winner. Vote in the comments. Be original. Show me the twists and turns this fight will take. All voters will be entered to win this week’s eBook prize.<br>
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Voting starts February 2 on the Valkryrie Bestiary FB Discussion Group. The winner will be announced Thursday, February 8 at 3pm EST. <br>
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This week’s cage fight sponsor is C. Thomas Lafollette. From all the participants, 3 will be chosen at random when the fight ends. Those commentators will win a free eBook: Dark Fangs Rising. Thank you C. Thomas Lafollette! <br>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank"><strong>Join the Valkyrie Bestiary FB Discussion Group to Vote!</strong></a>
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<h3>Book Fairs & Events</h3>
This weeks book fairs are full of spice and free reads! Get your vampires, witches and shifter free, or find something spicy to heat up the Valentine's vibe.<br>
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<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/werewitchesfree2-1_2-29-24/z28ts62mbm"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/2eadbc63-5158-4826-b21f-2525936bddc5/600;190;0e1bf27932c683966f39065e5aace8b027bd30e9.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/2eadbc63-5158-4826-b21f-2525936bddc5/600;190;0e1bf27932c683966f39065e5aace8b027bd30e9.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
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<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/spicywerewolf/yxs3wdbiqf"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/2a4f7268-3e10-4718-a19f-4190893ea8c7/600;200;8b1cd073510d84df2a8b48131b8fcc333b5cd263.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/2a4f7268-3e10-4718-a19f-4190893ea8c7/600;200;8b1cd073510d84df2a8b48131b8fcc333b5cd263.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">Spotlight Books</h3>
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<img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/fb22d5dc-4628-470e-a4de-c46da70f0c31/500;194;f330879c801338e394051429267ee8c208bf7495.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/fb22d5dc-4628-470e-a4de-c46da70f0c31/500;194;f330879c801338e394051429267ee8c208bf7495.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"><br>
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<strong>Gilded Blood Series<br>
by Rachel Renner</strong><br>
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This week's spotlight books are the Gilded Blood Series that includes Jinxed, the one that Amazon decided to tear down. Thankfully, it was reinstated. But if you'd like to support Rachel Rener, you can also find the book on her website. And she has some lovely gift ideas to go along with it! <br>
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About the series:<br>
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When Zayn, your smoking hot boss, tells you never to touch the cache of deluxe tattoo ink locked away in his office, you listen to him… until the day you run out of your own ink, your squirming client is on the verge of peeing his pants, and your boss is nowhere to be found. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?<br>
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I fully expected Zayn to yell at me when he returned to the shop. What I didn't expect was the fresh cobra tattoo on my client’s butt magically springing to life. Or the interdimensional filing cabinet hiding in the back of his office. And, oh, did I mention that my gorgeous, magic-ink-hoarding boss is actually an incubus?<br>
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Now – through (mostly) no fault of my own – we have to venture into a strange and distant land where a never-ending list of lethal flora, fauna, and fae await us. When you add in my Jewish mother’s string of poorly-timed, hysterical phone calls, there is one thing I’m grateful for: There’s no cell service in the fae realm.<br>
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<a href="https://www.rachelrener.com/books" target="_blank"><strong>Get the Gilded Blood Series now!</strong></a>
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tag:kimmcdougall.com,2024-01-14:/entries/f6448594-524b-4eea-b7e5-0767c8333c44Book Dragon says listen responsibly2024-01-19T04:05:00-05:002024-02-21T20:42:15-05:00<div>I often get asked questions such as “Do you still get paid if I read your books on Kindle Unlimited (or from the library or ‘insert other format here’).” In general, my answer is, “If you read my books, I’m ecstatic however you got them. Thank you.” There are two caveats to that. The first is book pirating, which I think we can all agree is egregious. The other one is Audible.<br>
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<em>What? But I love Audible!</em><br>
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I get it. As a reader, so do I. As an author, not so much. In the last couple of years, a lot has been written about Audible’s less than savory business practices. I’m not going to go into all the details, but the gist of it is this:<br>
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1. Audible’s royalty rate is 40% for authors, compared to the industry norm of 70% from most retailers. To make things worse, Audible pushes authors to be exclusive, dropping their already poor royalty rate to 25% if author’s don’t comply. And if authors decide to become Audible exclusive, they are locked in for 7 years. In this way, Audible has controlled over 60% of the audiobook market and some analysts believe that number is much higher.<br>
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2. Audible was caught a few years ago actively encouraging listeners to return books in order to re-use their monthly book credit, without paying royalties to authors on these read-and-returned books. Amazon (who owns Audible) has promised to address this issue, but it’s not clear if their change in policies has had any effect. It is still ridiculously easy to return an audiobook, even if you’ve already listened to the entire book.<br>
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If you want to read details about #AudibleGate, here are two articles that outline them better:<br>
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<a href="https://collider.com/brandon-sanderson-books-audible/" target="_blank">https://collider.com/brandon-sanderson-books-audible/</a><br>
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<a href="https://file770.com/how-audibles-returns-policy-exploits-writers/" target="_blank">https://file770.com/how-audibles-returns-policy-exploits-writers/</a><br>
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Now, I’m not saying you should delete your Audible account. They have some great content, and I know the vast majority of readers don’t exploit the shameful return practices. But maybe there is room to shop for audiobooks at other outlets too and force Audible into adopting a fairer business model.<br>
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I chose to distribute my audiobooks to a wider audience, so you’ll be able to find them at other retailers such as Spotify, Kobo, Google Play, and Apple, as well as from libraries. I was very pleased when Spotify recently entered the audiobook game. Did you know your Premium Spotify account includes 15 hours per month of audiobooks? And what about Kobo Plus? This is Kobo’s new monthly subscription that’s similar to Kindle Unlimited but includes eBooks and Audiobooks, and bonus!—it doesn’t require exclusivity from authors. Check out the Kobo Plus book fair banner below for books that you could listen to or read for free this month with a Kobo Plus subscription.<br>
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My point is, there are many great choices for audiobook listeners.<br>
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I realize that most readers have no idea what goes on behind the curtain of publishing. And you might not want to. I get that too. It seems like we have to make politically correct choices for everything from how our social media platforms deal with hate-speech to how our favorite toothpaste brand exploits the environment. It can be exhausting. But unfortunately big companies count on that exhaustion from information overload to get away with underhanded business practices.<br>
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On a side note, I published <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Devils-Don-t-Lie"><em>Devils Don’t Lie</em></a> audiobook on November 13, 2023, and while all the other retailers accepted it for publication within a week, I am still waiting for it to appear on Audible. FindAway Voices (my audiobook distributer) has this note in their system today:<br>
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<div><em>Notice: We are currently experiencing significant delays with Audible, and are unable to provide estimated timelines for when your audiobook will be available on Audible. This delay does not affect other partners.</em></div>
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I will let you know when it finally becomes available, as well as when Book 8 (now in production) is published as an audiobook. <br>
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I’m glad to have a conversation about this topic. Let me know what you like or don’t like about Audible or audiobooks in general. Feel free to reply right in the comments.<br>
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In my next newsletter, look for an update on Valkyrie Bestiary Book 9 as well as my new series. Until then, happy reading (or listening).<br>
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***Note that only Valkyrie Bestiary books 6+ will be available from Kobo Plus. I can’t control the distribution of books 1-5, but they are all available at multiple retailers. To find the best retailer for you, visit the <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/vb-audiobooks">Valkyrie Bestiary Audiobook Page</a>.<br>
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<h3>Valkyrie Bestiary Cage Fights<br>
Semifinal Extravaganza!</h3>
<div>The cage fights continue on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank">Valkyrie Bestiary FB Discussion Group</a>. This week's match-up is the Mountain Devil vs a Nuckelavee. <br>
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A giant bird made of flame vs a monstrous equine with flayed skin and razor sharp teeth. This fight will be brutal and a pyrotechnic show! Who do you favor for the win? Defend your answer. Be honest, be silly…just vote and be automatically entered to win great book prizes!<br>
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The recent battles have been pretty tense with readers finding it harder and harder to pick favorites to win. You can see the past winners and on-going schedule in the Cage Fight Arena.<br>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank"><strong>Join the Valkyrie Bestiary FB Discussion Group to Vote!</strong></a><br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/b87aea72-988e-4f1e-b99d-6920f28baff6/550;403;97cc92144d60ea4db4a1a026b6603ba85fb1166f.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/b87aea72-988e-4f1e-b99d-6920f28baff6/550;403;97cc92144d60ea4db4a1a026b6603ba85fb1166f.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
<div> </div>
<h3>Book Fairs & Events</h3>
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<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/bingeableaudiobooks/it6ruvzuhl"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/13c3d74e-43ce-4157-a5b9-7e4dea1e5d51/600;314;e375f758aa3ef5705a5c08137c70d1d0752e3bdc.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/13c3d74e-43ce-4157-a5b9-7e4dea1e5d51/600;314;e375f758aa3ef5705a5c08137c70d1d0752e3bdc.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/kobo-plus-fantasy-science-fiction-january/n91iym8mpw"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/a01e52b6-6723-46df-a045-93b3f9cb2ac4/600;202;2adf8fd681171bd817275faefb58ede90305e009.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/a01e52b6-6723-46df-a045-93b3f9cb2ac4/600;202;2adf8fd681171bd817275faefb58ede90305e009.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
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tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-12-29:/entries/83de783f-700c-4f0d-8230-cefa17aae1acJanuary Book Bonanza!2024-01-01T05:27:00-05:002023-12-31T15:47:04-05:00<div>Happy New Year! I hope you had a fun and safe holiday season. I traveled a bit to see family, snuggled with the grand babies and had some girl time with both my mother and my daughter. It was a perfect holiday, until I came home sick. Not Covid, luckily, but a bad head cold. It's the price you pay for snuggles with little snot machines. Worth it.<br>
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I had planned to do a sort of retrospective of the year in this newsletter, but because my brain is currently fogged with cold medicine, I'll keep that for the next newsletter. But I didn't want you to miss out on some great deals happening right now. <br>
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January is traditionally book bonanza month. People get new e-readers for Christmas or Amazon gift cards and what better way to start the New Year than with new books! <br>
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So I created a FREE-2-3 promotion for the occasion. Books 1-3 of the Valkyrie Bestiary are on sale for the next 5 days. If you haven't read this series, now is the time to get lost in a new world. If you have read it, please considering passing this promo onto a fellow book lover. <br>
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And I have more free books for you under the Book Fairs tab. The Stuff Your Kindle with Fantasy event is happening right now. This is huge! No matter what kind of fantasy you read, you'll find something there. So dig in!<br>
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Valkyrie Bestiary FREE-2-3 Sale is January 1-5 only!<br>
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<h5><a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/valkyrie-bestiary" target="_blank">Get the Bundle</a></h5>
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/244a53d5-2d09-4863-812e-abddc5366044/550;403;e46fb020502d35c5ee427452de04d296b56e1a84.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/244a53d5-2d09-4863-812e-abddc5366044/550;403;e46fb020502d35c5ee427452de04d296b56e1a84.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000">
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<h3>Valkyrie Bestiary Cage Fights<br>
Semifinal Extravaganza!</h3>
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For the past 17 weeks Valkyrie Bestiary critters and characters have been facing off in cage fights. Now we’re down to the wire where The Supreme Valkyrie Beast will be chosen by you!<br>
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The cage fight semifinals start January 5 with a match-up between a gargoyle and a grimalkin. The fun takes place on the VB Discussion group on Facebook. Join now to vote for your favorite creature in 3 exciting divisions:<br>
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<ul>
<li>Heavy Weight</li>
<li>Light Weight</li>
<li>Adorable Weight</li>
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I have a long list of amazing authors sponsoring this event. In each semifinal fight, commentators will automatically be entered to win an ebook or audiobook from one of these authors: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/jilleendolbeare" target="_blank">Jillean Dolbeare</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorlamcbride/" target="_blank">LA McBride</a>, <a href="Https://www.facebook.com/cnrowan" target="_blank">C.N Rowan</a>, <a href="https://facebook.com/lmhatchell" target="_blank">L.M. Hatchell</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CThomasLafollette" target="_blank">C. Thomas Lafolette</a>, <a href="https://facebook.com/groups/theparanormalcouncil" target="_blank">Laura Greenwood</a>, <a href="https://facebook.com/arizonatapeauthor" target="_blank">Arizona Tape</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorjannaruth" target="_blank">Janna Ruth</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/kristawalshauthor" target="_blank">Krista Walsh</a>, <a href="http://facebook.com/stephaniemirro" target="_blank">Stephanie Mirro</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jenbgreen.author" target="_blank">Jen B. Green</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/gemmaclatworthy" target="_blank">G. Clatworthy</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dahliatdrake" target="_blank">Dahlia T. Drake</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/IsaMedinaAuthor" target="_blank">Isa Medina</a>. Thank you to all the sponsors!<br>
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For the final fight, I will be offering a signed paperback gift pack. Details on that to come.<br>
Don’t miss out on this amazing event. You can check out the up-coming match-ups in the <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Valkyrie-Bestiary-Cage-Fights">VB ARENA</a>. Join the Discussion Group to vote! And I’ll see you at the fights!<br>
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<h5><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank">Join the Valkyrie Bestiary Discussion Group</a></h5>
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<h3>Book Fairs & Events </h3>
<div>It's book bonanza time! Check out these 2 free book fairs! There's something for every fantasy book lover. <br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/stuffyourkindlewithfantasy/vhylm6z1d8"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/07e900cb-34fb-45a7-859a-be2c616d6006/600;216;a87480bc8e8023753e09c7efdd76e9986a6f197e.jpeg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/07e900cb-34fb-45a7-859a-be2c616d6006/600;216;a87480bc8e8023753e09c7efdd76e9986a6f197e.jpeg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a></div>
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<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/januaryfreereadsfantasyscifi/8qku7f66ak"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/9b22a652-3cdc-4d29-865b-9e3802498b33/600;204;eee098bb68b21c8ca91db5680adf7d532896a997.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/9b22a652-3cdc-4d29-865b-9e3802498b33/600;204;eee098bb68b21c8ca91db5680adf7d532896a997.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
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<h3> </h3>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/44fa171e-b256-4e40-a4b6-bd8b8069f412/550;402;1f23d665e5d40805637567345336d3ce77557ec4.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/44fa171e-b256-4e40-a4b6-bd8b8069f412/550;402;1f23d665e5d40805637567345336d3ce77557ec4.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></h3>
<h3>2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge</h3>
I overshot my Goodreads Reading Challenge estimate by 25 books this year! Whoops. How did you do in 2023?<br>
<br>
I'm looking for a new venue to track my reading. Apart from the nastiness that flares up on Goodreads from time to time, I feel like the website hasn't been updated since 1890. What do you use to track your reading? I'd love to hear other suggestions. You can reply right in the comments below. tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-12-12:/entries/dbae9689-99f6-4694-ae83-ceddd4ce649dMerry Christmas from the beasts2023-12-15T04:02:00-05:002023-12-15T09:14:50-05:00<div>It's been a bitter-sweet month so far. Winter settled on us early. I've already had the snowshoes out. And while I enjoy the forest in winter, I can't help feeling this is going to be a long one.<br>
<br>
And then we had a Booker emergency. If you've been following this newsletter for a while, you'll remember my horse Booker from his <a href="https://kimmcdougall.com/entries/general/Teeth-Sheath-Day" target="_blank">teeth and sheath day</a> this summer. For the past year, Booker has been boarding with our neighbors while we get our pasture ready and a barn built for him. He had one pasture mate, a lovely elderly mare named Sasha. Unfortunately Sasha's owners had to put her down last week. Sasha has been sick for a long time, and this year she lost too much weight to survive our harsh winter without suffering. It's a dreadful decision that most pet owners have to face at some point. It's never easy. You second guess yourself, thinking she's doing okay because you don't see the slow decline. But eventually, you have to face up to it when the animal is suffering. I will always admire anyone who steps up to make this choice for a beloved animal friend. <br>
<br>
But with Sasha gone, Booker was alone. Horses don't do well alone. They need other horses for companionship, a sense of safety and for warmth. It broke my heart to see Booker alone. He was upset when I left at each visit. I was now his only herd. I knew I had to find other accommodations for him, but on such short notice? It wasn't likely.<br>
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Lucky for me and for Booker, a young woman just down the road recently built a new barn with her father and she was hoping to take on new boarders. She was willing to take Booker immediately, so the very next day, we walked Booker 30 minutes along a snowy forest trail to his new digs. He has 3 new pasture mates and after a few whinnies and some posturing, they all settled down like champs. Here's a picture of him with his new BFF, Mister. Booker is the one with his butt toward the camera.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/4037dc74-6171-46bd-97be-859bf916c546/600;450;33711969b8d275dd4874c5ec9734a2c808dbd15c.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/4037dc74-6171-46bd-97be-859bf916c546/600;450;33711969b8d275dd4874c5ec9734a2c808dbd15c.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
<div>
<br>
Alls well that ends with a nose kiss.<br>
<br>
Anyway, Booker is no longer right next door to me, so I can't just run over whenever I want, but he's happy. That's more important. And bonus, the owner of the new barn will be able to give me riding lessons in the spring. I haven't ridden a horse in 10 years, so I'm eager to get back in the saddle.<br>
<br>
Catastrophe averted! Back to writing. My new series (yet to be named) is coming along nicely. The first book is tentatively titled A <em>Knack for Metal and Bone</em>. Check out the last newsletter for a snippet <a href="https://kimmcdougall.com/entries/valkyrie-bestiary/A-new-series-snippet---title-reveal" target="_blank">HERE</a>. <br>
<br>
Book 9 of the Valkyrie Bestiary is percolating nicely in the back of my brain and I'll be ready to start writing it after the holidays. The tentative title for that one is <em>Worlds Don't Collide</em>. What do you think? Is that epic enough for the last book in the series?<br>
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I won't have another newsletter before January, so I want to wish you a Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Merry Yuletide, and most of all a great big THANK YOU for being a reader of this newsletter and my books. Your support means more to me than any present this year. So thank you, and have a safe and happy New Year. <br>
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<h3>Book Fairs & Events </h3>
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I'm finished with in-person holiday markets for the year, but there's still time to get great free books and books deals. Click on the banners below for more details. <br>
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<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/paperbackpushers-dec2/65b8phw1on"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/f80fbdf6-8491-4153-ae89-1b3fb9bd00df/600;240;d09b69ace7eed1475fb60f0dab346aa5315e0d01.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/f80fbdf6-8491-4153-ae89-1b3fb9bd00df/600;240;d09b69ace7eed1475fb60f0dab346aa5315e0d01.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/pnrandfantasyaudio2/ltf4su5thy"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/ef5ebf1f-36a6-46d4-97dd-289f12c67dd6/600;180;da1af79b1180bf704f41f411d10fd38af0cf21a7.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/ef5ebf1f-36a6-46d4-97dd-289f12c67dd6/600;180;da1af79b1180bf704f41f411d10fd38af0cf21a7.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
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<h3>Spotlight Books</h3>
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I had the privilege of reading an ARC of The Hollow Kiss last fall. It's a terrific first-in-series for an exiting new paranormal YA series. I loved Dray’s unique magic abilities, including a talent for mixing a mean cocktail. Who wouldn’t want that talent? I also enjoyed the array of powerful fae and supernatural beings that fill Dray’s new world. MJ Moores is a terrific writer and a good friend. I hope you'll check out her newest Urban Fantasy thriller.<br>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hollow-Kiss-Paranormal-Urban-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B0CG4124WC"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/eca495b8-5dee-4a57-9bcb-04e92766d125/600;959;47e921687f01f635f39a07dc712d83c07ae1c1e6.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/eca495b8-5dee-4a57-9bcb-04e92766d125/600;959;47e921687f01f635f39a07dc712d83c07ae1c1e6.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); height:auto; width:372px"></a></h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<strong>The Hollow Kiss<br>
MJ Moores<br>
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Bloody Walls and Supernatural Espionage Were Not on the Final Exam</strong><br>
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Graduation meant a whole new world away from the labels of outcast and freak, but a supernatural abduction leaves Corvina Dray with a hole in her memory and a deadly kiss.<br>
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Inexplicably drawn to a dark stranger in a back alley, Dray’s soul-sucking lip-lock lands her with a DB and the local PD on her trail. Then, a girl she doesn’t remember shows up out of nowhere and helps her dispose of the corpse.<br>
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Dray’s dead-body-bestie initiates her into an underground world with only one rule— expose the fae and suffer the consequences. But navigating this piranha-paradise to hunt down the maniac responsible for her transformation is likely to kill her… or worse.<br>
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Can Dray reverse the curse before she spends the rest of her life in an orange jumpsuit?<br>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hollow-Kiss-Paranormal-Urban-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B0CG4124WC"><strong>Get THE HOLLOW KISS Now</strong></a>
</div>
tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-11-28:/entries/5659a641-1fd7-4465-b989-5769f82541f5A new series: snippet & title reveal2023-12-01T09:11:00-05:002024-02-14T08:32:11-05:00I have a surprise for you. <br>
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Okay, deep breath.<br>
<br>
For the past year, in between writing Valkyrie Bestiary books, I've been building a new world for a new series. That's right. I have a whole new series in the works. My first one in over 5 years. Yikes! It's very scary stuff for me. More details below, but first here's a tiny snippet from the new book:
<hr> <em>Three, two, one…</em><br>
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Talos rounded the bend to the south. Right on time. <br>
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He was a mech marvel. Sixty-six feet tall, he could rest his chin on the city wall if he wanted to. Of course, he didn’t. He was just an automaton, a mindless creation of the city founders, from a time when tinkers could create such marvels from metal, gears and wires. For over two centuries, Talos had guarded the walls of New Torwood with measured steps.<br>
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And Rowan was the only tinker left who could fix him when he broke down. <br>
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As she watched him approach, she leaned too far over the short railing, and Phalian fluttered at her shoulder, pushing her back to safety. <br>
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“Okay, okay! I just wanted to get a good look? Does he seem to be limping to you?”<br>
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The mech bird said, “TWEET!”<br>
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Rowan scrutinized Talos. The ground beneath him was packed tighter than stone after centuries of his massive feet pounding out the path each day. His left foot lifted and slammed down. Right foot lifted, paused, and fell. <br>
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Yep, he was definitely limping. <br>
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She’d come out this morning for routine maintenance, but this was going to take longer. The regent wanted her back at the palace by noon for some staff retirement ceremony, but she’d never make it now. <br>
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Oh, well. She grinned fiercely as she got ready to leap. This was so much more fun than a boring old palace party. <br>
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Talos was only a hundred feet away now. Phalian clacked his wings. He hated this part. If Rowan was honest, part of her did too, but mostly, she found it exhilarating. She was never more alive than when she hopped the two-foot gap between the wall and Talos’s shoulder. <br>
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As he came alongside, she sucked in a breath and leaped. <br>
<br>
<em>Don’t look down. Don’t look down</em>. <br>
<br>
She looked down. <br>
<br>
The drop was sixty-six feet to hard ground. Her stomach twisted. Her foot slipped on Talos's epaulette. Phalian said, “SQUAWK!” Rowan grabbed for an unobtrusive metal handle sticking out of Talos’s shoulder. Her mech arm gave her the extra inch of reach she needed. Black-gloved fingers locked around the handle and she and hung on.<br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/b9c292e9-6763-4e24-a146-e7b333e3f40c/500;500;cf664b5f050cd795e3b464f09742967e48ef2c4a.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/b9c292e9-6763-4e24-a146-e7b333e3f40c/500;500;cf664b5f050cd795e3b464f09742967e48ef2c4a.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:12px">Image created using Adobe's ethical AI</span></div>
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<br>
I’m anticipating some questions about this new series, so I’ll be proactive and answer a few right here.<br>
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<strong>Does this mean no more Valkyrie Bestiary?</strong> Let's get this big question out of the way immediately. I’m not abandoning Kyra. Since the very beginning, I have said there will be 9 books in the Valkyrie Bestiary. Book 9 will come out in 2024 and so will the first book in this new series. I haven’t decided which will come first. That will depend on how writing and editing go. <br>
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<strong>What’s the title?</strong> Right now I have a working title for the new book: A Knack for Metal and Bone. I kind of like it and it places the story right where it belongs from a marketing perspective, in the fantasy romance genre. Unless the story takes a strong deviation that I'm not currently expecting, that title will stand. <br>
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<strong>Will it be a series?</strong> Yes. I am planning a series, but not in the traditional one character, one story arc sense. There will be several books (right now I’m planning at least 7 books), but they will highlight different characters against the backdrop of a shared world. I don’t yet have a series name.<br>
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<strong>Is it Urban Fantasy?</strong> Well, not technically. But Kyra’s world isn’t technically UF either since it’s set in the near future. I imagine Rowan’s world to be Kyra’s world but hundreds of years in the future and thousands of miles away. There will be reference to a great “resurgence” not unlike the Flood Wars, but these people have devolved to a pre-industrial society, a sort of gas-lamp world that uses magic to fuel its tech. But it will have the <em>feel</em> of Urban Fantasy, not a medieval or Victorian epic fantasy.<br>
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<strong>What is the book about? </strong>Hmm. That’s a question I often hesitate to answer. It’s easy to be too brief or to ramble out too much detail so the main premise gets lost. But I’ll do my best. Book 1 is about Rowan, the non-ruling Princess and mechanic who has finally been granted her wish by the Regent’s Council to serve her mandatory year in the military. In her first mission, she joins a Ranger squad as the mechanic when they go out into the dangerous Meadows to find a team of scientists who have lost contact with the city. The Meadows are a vast grassland wilderness where monsters roam. Needless to say, the rangers form a tight-knit unit as face many trials along the way, but they discover that coming home might be the biggest danger of all. <br>
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How’s that for a teaser? <br>
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<strong>When will book 1 be published?</strong> As soon as I finish it. Assuming no personal catastrophes, I plan for book 1 to come out in 2024. As soon as I have a firmer date, you’ll be the first to know!<br>
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Got more questions? What do you think of the title and the premise? I’d love to hear from you. You can respond right in the comments or join the discussion with other readers on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank">FB group</a>.<br>
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The holidays are right around the corner. Check out this week’s amazing deals on books to get ready for those cozy holiday nights!
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<h3>This week in the VB Cage fights: Mountain Devil vs. Harpy! </h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
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<img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/c9f34cf6-810e-4a2d-b189-b3d9f806f4ef/550;275;4a6a8502a1863af668af4246a31318da02e7aa52.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/c9f34cf6-810e-4a2d-b189-b3d9f806f4ef/550;275;4a6a8502a1863af668af4246a31318da02e7aa52.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000">
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<div>This battle is bound to take to the skies as both winged creatures fight for supremacy. Which one has the fortitude to see the battle to the end?</div>
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Be sure to join the FB Discussion Group to cast your vote. The first round fights will go on until Christmas. In the New Year, when we get to the finals, we're going to use it as an excuse for an awesome party and give away some stuff!
<h3>Book Fairs</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/mythsandcreaturesunleashed/hmdi1exqwt"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/7cf055f4-3fa1-42ef-98e8-d882c8844253/600;188;e83709e60ff0c9f71c9d69144a0bab2ab92cedb2.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/7cf055f4-3fa1-42ef-98e8-d882c8844253/600;188;e83709e60ff0c9f71c9d69144a0bab2ab92cedb2.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a></div>
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<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/seasonsgreetingsboxsets/c37zppbwy0"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/433f4e1f-16cd-43c1-9554-240a3226a15d/600;204;099afb2cc7ff01a14e8b13e5c1eb375afb3b3ba0.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/433f4e1f-16cd-43c1-9554-240a3226a15d/600;204;099afb2cc7ff01a14e8b13e5c1eb375afb3b3ba0.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<a href="https://legends-n-lore.com/holiday-bookfair-2023/"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/d9622911-79f3-4788-ae9a-3d5beba15faf/600;315;6072361a377b80acd73a203413eb0b797be7fc86.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/d9622911-79f3-4788-ae9a-3d5beba15faf/600;315;6072361a377b80acd73a203413eb0b797be7fc86.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a>
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The holidays are right around the corner. Check out this week’s amazing deals on books to get ready for those cozy holiday nights! Apart from the online book fairs below, I'm participating in a few in-person local events this fall. You can view those and more online markets on the Book Fairs Page. <br>
tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-11-14:/entries/ca2c787d-c464-44b2-8b9f-0933597ddea6Let's recap: All things Valkyrie Bestiary in one spot2023-11-17T05:46:00-05:002023-11-17T08:54:42-05:00<div>With every new release, this readers' group gets a big influx of new members. In fact, there have been over 300 new subscribers since <em>Unicorns Don't Cry</em> launched last month. So I thought this would be a good time to do a little recap for new readers, those who might have missed some newsletters and those who are thinking of subscribing. <br>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Readers-Group">Join the Valkyrie Bestiary Readers' Group Newsletter</a></h4>
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Newsletters subscribers get a few perks, like 3 free ebooks, including the exclusive Tales from the Inbetween. Got questions about my books or writing in general? You can reply right to the newsletter email. I'm always happy to hear from readers.<br>
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Here's a little bit about me. I write dark and funny fantasy from my little farm on the edge of the woods in Quebec, Canada, though I have lived in Ontario, New York, Pennsylvania, and Nice, France. If you've read any of the Valkyrie Bestiary, you know that animal rescue is a subject dear to my heart and my husband and I are currently preparing our farm to be able to take in some critters. In the mean time, I spend my summers writing in a little tent in the woods and my winters holed up in a tiny cafe in town or snowshoeing in the forest to look at all the critter tracks. <br>
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If you want to catch up on past posts, they are always available here on the blog. If you need a chuckle and love critters (and aren't squeamish) you might want to start with <a href="https://kimmcdougall.com/entries/general/Teeth-Sheath-Day" target="_blank">TEETH AND SHEATH DAY</a>. <br>
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Finally, I want to invite you to join the discussion on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank">Valkyrie Bestiary Facebook group</a>. here you can connect with other readers and there's always some amazing critter-related fun going on like the Valkyrie Bestiary Cage Fights. <br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/1396a91a-048e-4452-937f-ee3cf61fa126/550;275;0b06f187c79aaf4307533d05dfc04ce48a0bb523.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/1396a91a-048e-4452-937f-ee3cf61fa126/550;275;0b06f187c79aaf4307533d05dfc04ce48a0bb523.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
<div> <br>
For the last few weeks, I've been hosting the Valkyrie Bestiary Cage Fights on the FB Group. Every week, I pit 2 VB critters or characters against each other to determine the Supreme Valkyrie Bestiary. We also have a Light Weight Division and an Adorable Division. Last week Ollie (the baby dragon) beat out Kur (the ice sprite) in the Adorable Division. There's a new battle going on today on the FB Group. Be sure to join and cast your vote. When we get to the finals, we're going to use it as an excuse for an awesome party and give away some stuff!<br>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank">Join the Valkyrie Bestiary Facebook Group</a></h4>
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You can also check out past cage fight winners in the <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Valkyrie-Bestiary-Cage-Fights">ARENA</a>.<br>
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Want to know the best reading order for the Valkyrie Bestiary? Or read FAQs from previous ask-me-anything events? Or want to visit Kyra's blog IRL? Those and more are all available from the <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/valkyrie-bestiary">VALKYRIE BESTIARY PAGE</a>.<br>
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Finally, I am always looking for new ARC readers and listeners. If you would like to join my ebook or audiobook ARC Teams, please fill out the forms below. Note that there are some restrictions to join, so read the notes carefully.<br>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://forms.gle/4L53p8prxx11Qs2e8" target="_blank">Join the eBook ARC Team</a><br>
<a href="https://forms.gle/Lvp4LcivDJDRwWA87" target="_blank">Join the Audiobook ARC Team</a>
</h4>
<div>
<br>
After a couple of manic book launch weeks, I've settled back down in my little house on the edge of the woods to start writing again. Yes, I have 1 more Valkyrie Bestiary book in me. I will, of course, share details about that as soon as I can. But in the next post, I will introduce you to a whole new project I'm working on, one that I am super excited to share!<br>
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Until then, have a wonderful week of reading!<br>
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<h3>Book Fairs & Events</h3>
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<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/passagetoadventure/y4ihuxxeqa"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/62e12438-af11-4f3b-8ad6-7911a6af4eb3/600;204;f2a70f5bf64a1f2b83ff732f8b634034059ecec0.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/62e12438-af11-4f3b-8ad6-7911a6af4eb3/600;204;f2a70f5bf64a1f2b83ff732f8b634034059ecec0.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/perfectflightreads/76up3m4led"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/5a76185e-47a1-434e-b0cc-5c6622f9c703/600;292;64486c718b1a82c75a5dd767dc2c63b5f936cce9.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/5a76185e-47a1-434e-b0cc-5c6622f9c703/600;292;64486c718b1a82c75a5dd767dc2c63b5f936cce9.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">Spotlight Books</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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It's that time of year again! Is it time for hot cocoa and snowmen? No! It's time for yetis and hockey playing dragons, of course! If you haven't read the Valkyrie Bestiary Holiday Tale, you're in for a treat. I think this was my favorite book to write and I hope you will enjoy it. <br>
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Did you already read <em>Oh, Come All Ye Dragons</em>? I'd love to know what you thought of it. You can reply right in the comments. <br>
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<a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/oh-come-all-ye-dragons"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/f0be5593-9963-43c4-96ae-83c74adc8793/312;500;74acc3c7fc8a7acf3e9a5a4ce3fd4ae14dc94563.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/f0be5593-9963-43c4-96ae-83c74adc8793/312;500;74acc3c7fc8a7acf3e9a5a4ce3fd4ae14dc94563.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<br>
<strong>Oh, Come All Ye Dragons<br>
A Valkyrie Bestiary Holiday Tale</strong><br>
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No pest is too big or too small to ruin Christmas. When dragons nest on a valuable reclamation site, who do the scavengers call? Kyra Greene, pest controller of the extraordinary. Can she convince a stubborn dragon queen to move her nest before the scavengers bring in guns and still be home in time for her baby’s first Christmas?<br>
</div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/oh-come-all-ye-dragons">Get OH, COME ALL YE DRAGONS</a></h3>
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tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-11-03:/entries/a88ab852-80a6-4b7d-a76c-0ead09bea7cfCritters of the Valkyrie Bestiary2023-11-08T05:23:00-05:002023-11-06T14:32:51-05:00<div>
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<img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/f1925ddf-cfad-4150-aeb1-9c003c52672a/1170;293;c1fb3968288405c861c335324d151d3af1103497.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/f1925ddf-cfad-4150-aeb1-9c003c52672a/1170;293;c1fb3968288405c861c335324d151d3af1103497.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"><br>
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<em>Unicorns Don't Cry</em>, (Valkyrie Bestiary Book 8) brought a whole new menagerie of critters for Kyra. There's the conies, feisty little rabbits; Ludger the Puckwudgie, who is more than he seems; Chug, the abused unicorn who wants to feel pretty again; and the little whatsis sunflower. Which one is your favorite?<br>
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And then there's Shar, the mysterious shar-lil egg who is a growing mystery. I didn't include a picture of Shar here, for spoiler reasons. But if you have read <em>Unicorns Don't Cry</em> and would like to see what Shar actually looks like, check it out on <a href="https://valkyriebestiary.com/shar-lil" target="_blank">Kyra's Blog</a>. In fact, did you know that you can follow any of the links in the books to Kyra's blog IRL? Have some fun poking around and don't forget to leave a message for Kyra in the guestbook.<br>
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If you haven't picked up your copy of <em>Unicorns Don't Cry</em>, check out all the new critters at Kyra's homestead!</div>
<h3>
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Book Fairs & Events</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://urbanfantasyaddict.com" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/9cd19088-bcaf-428b-8b43-53d494003103/550;461;a19f7fa8f5dbd42d2a0f7178af53958fd7640480.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/9cd19088-bcaf-428b-8b43-53d494003103/550;461;a19f7fa8f5dbd42d2a0f7178af53958fd7640480.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
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<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/kobo-book-fair/yg4t6eaecs" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/af0f3d2c-13d6-4401-81bc-b64919adc2a0/600;300;a964d0774bd9a56d8be242b45e8cad09d3e240b5.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/af0f3d2c-13d6-4401-81bc-b64919adc2a0/600;300;a964d0774bd9a56d8be242b45e8cad09d3e240b5.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
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<a href="https://wolfpackauthors.blogspot.com/2022/12/round-robin.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/d2c28498-cb37-4bc2-bdb4-1460bad8d720/600;300;86452f520c6956c30a6e9051cd6df67a981ad696.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/d2c28498-cb37-4bc2-bdb4-1460bad8d720/600;300;86452f520c6956c30a6e9051cd6df67a981ad696.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
</div>
<h3>Spotlight Books</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/dca5773e-b07c-4aac-a9c8-67d302c0c562/600;900;ca8bd661064038958bf68cbad4695d72e26a867e.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/dca5773e-b07c-4aac-a9c8-67d302c0c562/600;900;ca8bd661064038958bf68cbad4695d72e26a867e.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); height:auto; width:337px"></h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br>
I’m a goat shifter with a checkered past and sticky fingers.<br>
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I like my new life. I’ve got good friends, cheap booze, and weekly karaoke. Sure, I live in an apartment with more deadbolts than functioning windows. And yeah, I earn just enough tips as a mediocre bartender to buy name brand ramen noodles. But I can be as flamboyant and fun as I want—as long as I keep my hands clean.<br>
<br>
When a mysterious stranger strolls into my bar with tales of a magical dagger so rare it’s guaranteed to start a bidding war, that old itch is back. One last heist…for old times’ sake. At least, that’s what I tell myself.<br>
<br>
With an uptight alpha werewolf breathing down my neck and a demon hot on my tail, this job could be my downfall. One wrong move, and the pack of werewolves I ran from eight years ago will come looking for payback. Only this time, they won’t leave me breathing. Hopefully, my survival skills are better than my bartending.<br>
<br>
<a href="https://readerlinks.com/l/2919242">Get Demon Relic Hunter Now</a>
</div>
<div id="" style="left: 84.5px; top: 576.875px;"><span></span></div>
tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-10-25:/entries/340aee12-05ef-4cd3-b72d-42bf798af234First reviews are in!2023-10-28T05:14:00-04:002023-12-31T09:30:50-05:00<em>Unicorns Don't Cry</em> released last week and the first reviews are very positive! This one made me chuckle:<br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/447f4c0b-3fd9-4dba-941e-e22619617978/550;145;8a03edd9247b9fa3fd42e0cb22e5a54000fba934.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/447f4c0b-3fd9-4dba-941e-e22619617978/550;145;8a03edd9247b9fa3fd42e0cb22e5a54000fba934.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
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Who knew that getting your soul crushed could be so much fun? And I love this one too. <br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/a8ed2ce0-0d8a-47be-b4e6-87827cb3d4a3/550;187;7b6bda0d8f6738b3e622c0b064c7ed09b98b7153.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/a8ed2ce0-0d8a-47be-b4e6-87827cb3d4a3/550;187;7b6bda0d8f6738b3e622c0b064c7ed09b98b7153.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
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It was a hard book. Hard to write too. I wanted the depth of Kyra’s emotion to come across on the page, but not overwhelm the reader. I hope I succeeded. <br>
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This review also made me happy:<br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/b493e08b-776e-45d5-85e0-6848ce72f63d/550;177;42de1be025ed7986c27de92085a08b0573930c3f.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/b493e08b-776e-45d5-85e0-6848ce72f63d/550;177;42de1be025ed7986c27de92085a08b0573930c3f.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
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James mentioned that he was happy to meet a certain blogger commentator IRL, or at least in Kyra’s real life. Introducing Cece was something I’ve been waiting to do since book 1, so were many of the other key scenes in this book. That’s one of the things that made this one so hard to write. It was really over 5 years in the writing, and I really, really, really wanted to do it justice. <br>
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One other review made me pause. <br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/cb0e93a9-af94-4323-86ae-e9b5b26dbd09/550;109;9d5753b7819335370f879ba96851a35aaa1ab0f9.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/cb0e93a9-af94-4323-86ae-e9b5b26dbd09/550;109;9d5753b7819335370f879ba96851a35aaa1ab0f9.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); height:auto; width:675px"></div>
<br>
Kathy said “Having taken care of abused animals it’s obvious to me the author has seen some stuff.<br>
<br>
Yeah. And it’s not all good. <br>
<br>
Some of them are pretty funny, like That Time I Wrestled an Angry Llama or Teeth & Sheath Day.<br>
<br>
But some stories I have to tell would make you cry or scream. Chug, the little unicorn in Unicorns Don’t Cry, is inspired by one such story. There was a kitty named Psycho Kitty (not our name for him) who was once a frat-house pet. The frat boys fed him drugs and alcohol because they thought it was hilarious to see him high. By the time he made it to a certain rescue I volunteered for, Psycho Kitty’s digestive system was ruined. And he was angry. Oh, so angry that no one could go near him without padded protection. One day, Psycho Kitty escaped his cage on a trip to the vet. I had no protection, but I knew I had to get him back in the cage, so I simply grabbed him. I paid for that with cat bite fever after he bit my middle finger. Wow, that hurts, but I would do it again. So there is a little bit of Kyra in me. <br>
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Without giving away any spoilers, Chug has a happier ending to his story than poor Psycho Kitty. But thinking about him, I can channel some of Kyra’s rage. We don’t deserve animals.<br>
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If you haven’t read <em>Unicorns Don’t Cry yet</em>, I hope you’ll enjoy it. Soul crushing aside, I think it celebrates those people who stand up for creatures who have no voice of their own. And that brings me hope.<br>
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Tell me what you think? Did you enjoy<em> Unicorns Don’t Cry</em>? What did you think of Chug’s story? Does knowing he was based on a real-life rescue change how you see him? You can reply right in the comments. I love to hear from readers. <br>
<br>
And thank you to everyone who reviewed the book, whether it be on Amazon, Bookbub, or your favorite Facebook book discussion group. Or even if you recommended it to a friend. Your support makes a big difference to me and to the success of the series so I can go on writing more Kyra stories (Yes, there is one more Valkyrie Bestiary book coming!)
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Unicorns-Don-t-Cry">Get UNICORNS DON'T CRY</a></h3>
<h3>Book Fairs & Events</h3>
Apart from the online book fairs below, I'm participating in a few in-person local events this fall. You can view those and more online markets on the Book Fairs Page. <br>
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Be sure to check out the free witch books in the first fair, in particular. This is a fill your Kindle style book fair and for only one day, October 28th. Be sure to check prices before you click download as glitches in the matrix sometimes happen.<br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.witchybookworms.com/book-blast-october-2023" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/884f8e98-2b65-4f7b-aa7d-be2948eff42f/600;310;d086f3bc62675e86a1538f59a2093960a8d3d475.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/884f8e98-2b65-4f7b-aa7d-be2948eff42f/600;310;d086f3bc62675e86a1538f59a2093960a8d3d475.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/fangsandfire/82dxmxweb3" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/ec4c630d-890f-48a3-9b1d-24e1b74a11b3/600;186;26a615a380e1a6cb2dcd83e3511ea367f5bc2fc1.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/ec4c630d-890f-48a3-9b1d-24e1b74a11b3/600;186;26a615a380e1a6cb2dcd83e3511ea367f5bc2fc1.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a></div>
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<h3>Spotlight Books</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/bwBg2G" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/d72bf5a1-532d-44dc-91d3-c72872505ee4/250;375;9192f706d16f6643b3c0aad94950a6ae9b5e7057.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/d72bf5a1-532d-44dc-91d3-c72872505ee4/250;375;9192f706d16f6643b3c0aad94950a6ae9b5e7057.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br>
<strong>In Darkness <br>
The Shadow Sect Necromancers Book 1<br>
Rosie Wylor-Owen</strong><br>
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Your next life is never guaranteed.<br>
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Split into four sects after centuries of disputes, The Shadow Sect necromancers have one goal: decide which souls move on to the next life and which must be destroyed.<br>
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After discovering she has a rare power, strong-willed Scarlet is desperate to make a name for herself in the Lux sect. But when she encounters Micah, a necromancer from an enemy sect, Scarlet realises she may have met her match.<br>
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As wraiths flood the streets of Lancaster, all four sects are forced to work together to stop them destroying the souls of the dead. When Scarlet launches her own investigation, she soon discovers that the wraiths want more than souls, and that she and Micah might just be the key to their sinister plans.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/bwBg2G" target="_blank">Get IN DARKNESS</a></h3>
tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-10-17:/entries/cb434637-802b-4ebd-8a3e-044de1f3c2caUnicorns Don't Cry - Release Day!2023-10-19T04:58:00-04:002023-11-08T14:58:12-05:00<div>
<a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Unicorns-Don-t-Cry"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/47b3e9e0-18ad-40d7-811e-c3a17a961f17/400;600;74e833cd3bdd3295e8248b59f66cb180ccdc78a2.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/47b3e9e0-18ad-40d7-811e-c3a17a961f17/400;600;74e833cd3bdd3295e8248b59f66cb180ccdc78a2.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:none; float:left"></a>That's right, Valkyrie Bestiary Book 8 is finally here! If you pre-ordered an eBook, it should be in your Kindle library. If you've been waiting to grab it with Kindle Unlimited, you can do that now! Paperbacks and hardcovers are also available.</div>
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I know you're eager to get right into reading, so this will be a super short newsletter. I just wanted to give you a rundown of some events happening this week to celebrate the launch.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Unicorns-Don-t-Cry">Get UNICORNS DON'T CRY</a></h3>
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<strong>Friday, October 20: </strong>Author take-over party 9am-9pm EST. Games, book chats, give-aways all day long in the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank">Valkyrie Bestiary Facebook Discussion Group.</a> Welcome guest authors, Krista Walsh, L.A. McBride, L.M. Hatchell, Rosie Wylor-Owen, C.N. Rowan, Lauretta Hignett, Jilleen Dolbeare, Laura Greenwood, G Clatworthy, Janna Ruth.<br>
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<strong>Saturday, October 21:</strong> I'll be doing an Author take-over event at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1037909090097072" target="_blank">Fans of Indie Urban Fantasy</a> (Facebook group).<br>
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<strong>Sunday, October 22:</strong> 7-9pm EST. Ask me anything on the <a href="http://Valkyrie%20Bestiary%20Facebook%20Discussion%20Group" target="_blank">Valkyrie Bestiary Facebook Discussion Group</a>. Get your burning questions about Valkyrie Bestiary and writing in general answered and win prizes! If you can't make the party, or aren't on Facebook, feel free to post your questions in the comments below.<br>
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Note: The Valkyrie Bestiary Cage Fights will be on hold this week and will return October 27. If you'd like to see past fights and winners, check them out in the <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Valkyrie-Bestiary-Cage-Fights">ARENA</a>.</div>
<div> </div>
<h3>Book Fairs & Events</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://kingsumo.com/g/klvlf7/fall-fantasy-give-away" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/f4319392-c67e-4f3f-b3af-33b7d8d29930/550;271;b93a98a1e385f2a30ad2e7b3689e6aad39d36dd6.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/f4319392-c67e-4f3f-b3af-33b7d8d29930/550;271;b93a98a1e385f2a30ad2e7b3689e6aad39d36dd6.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/fantasywithmythicalcreatures/toivsg5z4t" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/c8b28e1e-a3d0-40c9-99c6-3e6b2906424f/550;235;599ada1277aa6be42f17d0efc149c7bab7258b84.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/c8b28e1e-a3d0-40c9-99c6-3e6b2906424f/550;235;599ada1277aa6be42f17d0efc149c7bab7258b84.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/witchingstories/u3t6lx0yat" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/1548294c-f7ae-4fc9-b225-c6562ce148d4/550;309;7f425377efc1b2aa081130d5ea7feac6ce747472.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/1548294c-f7ae-4fc9-b225-c6562ce148d4/550;309;7f425377efc1b2aa081130d5ea7feac6ce747472.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/fantasydark/1ls4a20l68" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/a9ffca3a-7cbb-4f89-b699-0fe167a73fcd/550;187;250f5517e7271c157eeaf99e5c9930b350f2a000.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/a9ffca3a-7cbb-4f89-b699-0fe167a73fcd/550;187;250f5517e7271c157eeaf99e5c9930b350f2a000.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a>
</div>
<h3>Spotlight Books</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/KeysofTime" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/daa934a7-1e59-4807-a5aa-015602a38a78/250;374;69f3dbc9ca32ac2fa3f0538493aec3cd0f79b167.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/daa934a7-1e59-4807-a5aa-015602a38a78/250;374;69f3dbc9ca32ac2fa3f0538493aec3cd0f79b167.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Keys of Time<br>
Book #1<br>
Georgiana Kent</h4>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br>
No one can escape the call of Time<br>
<br>
Erica Shylocke is your average University student, in debt and chasing deadlines. She also has a secret—a curse. One she’s kept hidden her entire life. She was doing a damn good job too, until she was attacked by a Lost Soul, a creature hell-bent on consuming her most valuable commodity: her soul.<br>
<br>
Saved by Michael Nicholas, a Time traveller who’s as sexy as he is mysterious, her whole life is about to unravel, and it’s only a matter of time before her secret unravels too...<br>
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No longer content to lurk in the shadows, the Lost Souls are readying themselves to battle for dominion over the souls of Earth. When they do, their vengeance will be swift and brutal.<br>
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Chosen by Time itself, Erica works with Michael to uncover the truth behind their rise, and it quickly becomes apparent that her secret might give them the edge they desperately need.<br>
<br>
As a band of unlikely heroes comes together to face off the army of Lost Souls, the fate of the world rests in Erica’s hands. Can she make the necessary sacrifices, and will they be in time to save the souls of billions?</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/KeysofTime" target="_blank">Get Keys of Time Now</a></h4>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br>
<a href="https://mybook.to/GoodBadWitch" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/8886e91c-eebe-4fdb-a3f3-45cacf71f87d/250;375;47542c5fdb13dc1cbe8f2abff90e4aca431f66b1.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/8886e91c-eebe-4fdb-a3f3-45cacf71f87d/250;375;47542c5fdb13dc1cbe8f2abff90e4aca431f66b1.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">Good Bad Witch<br>
Book #1<br>
Isa Medina</h4>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br>
It's hard being a good witch when your clients want bad magic.<br>
<br>
I'm a witch. Not a powerful witch, mind, but as Grandma liked to say, it’s all in the kindness, not the power. Grandma is gone now, but her dream of having a witch shop lives with me. So, when the opportunity to run my own shop presents itself, I move across the country to take it, no questions asked.<br>
<br>
But maybe I should have.<br>
<br>
The sexy local bounty hunter shifter thinks I’m up to no good, my clients keep asking me to use forbidden dark magic, and someone’s trying to sabotage my shop. Probably the same someone who reported me to the Witch Council and left a dead body in my bathtub.<br>
<br>
Hah! Joke’s on them. As Grandma also used to say, it’s nothing a positive attitude, excellent cleaning supplies, and the complete annihilation of whoever has in it for me can’t fix.<br>
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Paraphrasing.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mybook.to/GoodBadWitch" target="_blank">Get Good Bad Witch Now</a></h4>
tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-10-05:/entries/9371ca86-c7b0-4e90-a9f9-91578ba3b4c8Meet the new critters2023-10-06T05:00:00-04:002023-11-13T09:19:10-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/207a4c2b-f87a-4564-b86b-b0af497c4053/400;218;9979462d902af097bfb50a22d5dcdd3ca10b19b5.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/207a4c2b-f87a-4564-b86b-b0af497c4053/400;218;9979462d902af097bfb50a22d5dcdd3ca10b19b5.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
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The results are in from last newsletter's poll. The overwhelming majority want to see more farmyard tales, despite the liquids that were spewed after reading about Booker's teeth and sheath day. If you missed that story, you can still catch it on <a href="https://kimmcdougall.com/entries/general/Teeth-Sheath-Day" target="_blank">last week's Blog</a>. <br>
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There's a lot of news this week, so I'm going to keep this intro short and just share with you some new critters coming in Valkyrie Bestiary Book 8. Some of these will have posts on Kyra's blog. Others are just encounters in the wild. I'm very excited for you to meet them! Post your favorite in the comments below.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/042291ad-72bc-451f-a11f-9b19c8ee334b/800;400;95f76966a9e87f351a8c90267d8f2d9ba239e92e.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/042291ad-72bc-451f-a11f-9b19c8ee334b/800;400;95f76966a9e87f351a8c90267d8f2d9ba239e92e.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
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You might remember the shar-lil as the little coconut critter Kyra found in Book 7. What is in that shell? To be revealed in Book 8!</div>
<h3>Book News, Contests & More</h3>
<div><a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Unicorns-Don-t-Cry"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/8788d49d-812d-4a13-8cde-927128d041f7/250;375;b851a57c214cf47d0a0e6c23af359967e3ca0e1c.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/8788d49d-812d-4a13-8cde-927128d041f7/250;375;b851a57c214cf47d0a0e6c23af359967e3ca0e1c.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); float:left"></a></div>
<div>We're 2 weeks away from a new adventure in the Inbetween! <em>Unicorns Don't Cry</em> releases October 19, 2023!<br>
<br>
And Amazon has finally made pre-orders available for paperback and hardcover! Hallelujah! It's near the tail-end of pre-orders for this release, but I set it up anyway. Paperbacks and hardcovers are slated to release October 16, 2023. Note that it may take some time for the pre-orders to show up in all internationals stores. <br>
<br>
Critter wrangler rule #20: You can’t save them all.<br>
<br>
Rage is boiling inside Kyra. Friends are dead, the world is burning, and her husband is…gone, his body and mind taken over by a demon. Death would have been kinder. But she can’t kill a demon, so Kyra must hunt down the creature wearing Mason’s face and do the unthinkable—trap him for all eternity in a bloodstone.<br>
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In between hunting expeditions, Kyra continues to rescue critters in need, including a unicorn whose rage matches her own after spending years as a frat house mascot, and the shar-lil, a creature of immense power whose destiny has yet to reveal itself.<br>
Can Kyra stop a demon, save her growing family and still be an advocate for those creatures who have no voice of their own?<br>
<br>
Unicorns Don’t Cry is Book 8 of the Valkyrie Bestiary, a dark and humorous Urban Fantasy series.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Unicorns-Don-t-Cry">PRE-ORDER UNICORNS DON'T LIE</a></h4>
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<br>
<em><strong>Devils Don't Lie</strong></em>, Valkyrie Bestiary Book 7 is now in audio production. Yay! The audiobook should be available before Christmas.<br>
<br>
<strong>Spotify</strong> now offers 15 hours of monthly audiobook listening to eligible paid premium subscribers in the United Kingdom and Australia. I suspect they will roll out this model to other countries soon. I love this idea because Spotify is poised to provide real competition to Audible. If you already have a premium Spotify account, you're all set to listen to audiobook for free!<br>
<br>
<strong>The International Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Authors (IASFA)</strong> is hosting a Kindle Paperwhite give-away. <a href="https://kingsumo.com/g/xvk72b/kindle-paperwhite-us-only-giveaway" target="_blank">Sign up for their newsletter</a> to get free and $0.99 deals on ebooks, and enter for a chance to win.<br>
<br>
<strong>Flash Sale!</strong> <em>Dragons Don't Eat Meat</em> is on FREE for 1 day only! Today! Click on the image below to check out the huge <a href="https://frompagestoportals.substack.com/p/fantasy-free-for-all" target="_blank">stuff-your-Kindle sale</a> with 100+ free ebooks to choose from.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://frompagestoportals.substack.com/p/fantasy-free-for-all" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/8dee0176-e1ad-4cb1-b1c0-ef85843146e2/400;335;afc13019082371f7e9da062d362dee35fe880006.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/8dee0176-e1ad-4cb1-b1c0-ef85843146e2/400;335;afc13019082371f7e9da062d362dee35fe880006.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a></div>
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<h3>Valkyrie Bestiary Cage Fights </h3>
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<img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/eab494f7-2173-4cbd-8c9e-a52227c86398/550;275;fd52bc26a6ce1bbbb75e2ad7cbc7d9e4cf499d41.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/eab494f7-2173-4cbd-8c9e-a52227c86398/550;275;fd52bc26a6ce1bbbb75e2ad7cbc7d9e4cf499d41.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"><br>
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<strong>Week 7: Heavy Weight Division—Supreme Valkyrie Beast Round 3<br>
Dragon vs Chimera</strong><br>
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You pick the winner, but you've got to tell me why. Who would win in a battle between a dragon and a chimera? To be clear, the battle is between a full grown dragon (ie: not Ollie!) and a chimera.<br>
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Hmm. This will be a tough one to call. They’ve both got that fiery breath and wings. Who’s your choice in this terrifying match-up?<br>
Vote now on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank">Valkyrie Bestiary Discussion Group</a>. Or visit the <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Valkyrie-Bestiary-Cage-Fights">Cage Fight Arena</a> to see past winners.</div>
<h3>
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Book Fairs & Events</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/magicalreadsfantasy/zpdjo94iwz"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/c9a6c5e2-cd8c-4a5a-8a06-3c4205aa91cd/600;300;d7ab1696593e7f0bf5a44206c972389406490a42.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/c9a6c5e2-cd8c-4a5a-8a06-3c4205aa91cd/600;300;d7ab1696593e7f0bf5a44206c972389406490a42.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/paranormalseriesstarters/a88085b03w"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/7331b464-b2d9-43c9-bb31-51750a651fc3/600;204;ade65d216f4e5335b3695afa824ff90b41bd0527.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/7331b464-b2d9-43c9-bb31-51750a651fc3/600;204;ade65d216f4e5335b3695afa824ff90b41bd0527.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/shortshifterromance/1mi9ny96ir"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/0d4b4dca-fc76-46d1-ba55-5bc003d7b2db/600;204;0100213ffe35cbf196e8d75a699319c8ee449a4a.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/0d4b4dca-fc76-46d1-ba55-5bc003d7b2db/600;204;0100213ffe35cbf196e8d75a699319c8ee449a4a.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
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<h3>Spotlight Books</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/2896aaa7-637b-4d72-aab6-63f895fe4ed9/600;900;e0e46e9c39b60dbfa11ddaf9b9a58b902f462b27.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/2896aaa7-637b-4d72-aab6-63f895fe4ed9/600;900;e0e46e9c39b60dbfa11ddaf9b9a58b902f462b27.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); height:auto; width:335px"><br>
<br>
<strong>Captured by Wolves<br>
Shifter Moon 1<br>
Fiona Starr</strong><br>
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A hacker witch with a price on her head, three wolf princes without a throne, and a destiny none of them expected.<br>
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Tonight’s the night. One last job and I am out of here. After years of being an indentured witch, hacking and stealing for the mob, I am done.<br>
<br>
But I won’t be leaving empty handed…<br>
<br>
I’ll be taking a large portion of my boss’ cash while also relieving him of my magical marker that’s he’s held over me for years. And I won’t be leaving alone apparently, because when I break into his secret dungeon, I discover a man in chains. He’s a tall, dark, and tragically wounded, and based on the security around him, he’s pretty valuable, so I take him too.<br>
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Imagine my surprise when he opens his eyes and shouts, but not in fear—he’s carrying on about how he’s found the one. I think he might be crazy because I think he might mean me.<br>
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I’d leave him behind if not for his eyes… they are full of deep pain and raise a longing within me like I’ve never known. I should be long gone, but abandoning him is not an option. Then his brothers arrive and I find that I am leaving, only now in the rear of a panel van with my hands tied behind my back.<br>
<br>
Not exactly what I had planned.<br>
<br>
I’m not supposed to be here, but they look at me like I am exactly what they ordered—their appetizer, dinner and dessert. All I wanted was my freedom. But there’s something about the three of them, something I can’t deny.<br>
<br>
I never expected this. I never expected them.<br>
<br>
<a href="https://bookhip.com/SJSRVQK"><strong>Get Captured by Wolves Now</strong></a><br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://geni.us/impcatsale" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/08f6f4d2-81b9-49cc-88a6-6b8d282be3fd/550;194;c617daba4ce14f2b80a9230ad5a5a8ec232e1ef7.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/08f6f4d2-81b9-49cc-88a6-6b8d282be3fd/550;194;c617daba4ce14f2b80a9230ad5a5a8ec232e1ef7.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<br>
<strong>imPerfect Magic Series Sale!<br>
C.N.Rowan</strong><br>
<br>
After hundreds of years of dying, you'd think I would've perfected it by now...<br>
<br>
One moment I'm a heretical priest in the twelfth century, hunted, hated...The next, I'm waking up in the nearest corpse. Stuck in a cycle of instant reincarnation, popping back up like a tarnished penny.<br>
<br>
Fast forward eight hundred years, and you might think I’ve learned a thing or two. Nope. All I've learned is how to die far too easily, far too often.<br>
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Now my territory in the South of France is under threat and I find myself trapped by impossible angel-made runes. If the angels have gone full red lightsaber evil, it might not only be my territory in danger, but the whole of reality itself...<br>
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I need to stop whoever is behind this, and now. After all, you can’t come back to life, if there’s nothing left to come back to.<br>
<br>
<a href="https://geni.us/impcatsale"><strong>Get imPerfect Magic Now</strong></a>
</div>
tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-09-18:/entries/4d2c0047-246a-4837-ac28-7e6804e032aeTeeth & Sheath Day2023-09-22T05:54:00-04:002024-03-19T08:53:25-04:00<div>Here’s an amusing horsey story for you. It’s not for the faint of heart, so read on with caution. Seriously, if you don’t want to know about the grittier parts of animals husbandry, this post is not for you.<br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/fabe5356-1856-40d9-9c11-d030df0d070d/cropped/400;400;0bb1ef0eb6a08c6800b17615d597e8ff70f6a195.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/fabe5356-1856-40d9-9c11-d030df0d070d/cropped/400;400;0bb1ef0eb6a08c6800b17615d597e8ff70f6a195.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
<div>Still with me? Ok. Here goes.<br>
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A couple of years ago, we bought a hobby farm and moved our horse, Booker, here. He’s boarding with our neighbor until we can get our barn and pasture ready. Booker is 18 and until now he has been boarded in riding stables, first in Pennsylvania and then north of Toronto. I mention this because, it’s important to understand that he has always had annual check-ups with the vet at these barns.<br>
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Fast-forward to this fall in his new, very rural home. There are no vets here. In fact, there is such a shortage of vets that it has become a problem for our area. So, as a new farmer, I have to learn to do many things a vet would normally do. One of those things is cleaning a horse’s sheath. <br>
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Now let me explain. This means cleaning Booker’s…uh…boy parts and the big pocket of skin that he normally hides them in (the sheath). You might ask, “Why would you need to do such a thing? Surely horses in the wild manage this on their own?” Well, this is where it starts to get a little off-putting. Stallions in the wild have a natural way of cleansing their genitalia. Can you guess how? Yep. Sex. I suspect the lady horses weren’t consulted on that design model.<br>
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I can already hear your chorus of ewwwws! <br>
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Just wait. It gets worse.<br>
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So cleaning a gelding (that’s a neutered male horse, btw) is a completely manmade problem, but I figured it was one I could deal with. I put on my big-girl farmer pants, watched a bunch of Youtube videos on the process (Google those at your own risk), then headed over to give Booker a good scrub. <br>
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Here’s the thing—Booker is a <em>gentleman</em>. He doesn’t show off his magnificence like some common race horse. So, I had to go looking for it. As I stuck my (gloved) hand up his sheath to my elbow and floundered around in there looking for the goods, Booker side-eyed me with a most vexed expression. “Hey, lady, get your paws off my junk!” <br>
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Now here’s where it gets really, really gross (I warned you). The horse’s whatsis gets covered not only in dirt, but in smegma (gosh, I’ve never had to use that word in a sentence before). In fact, they can get a “bean” of such debris clogging the tip of the penis. <br>
<br>
And I had to dig that out. <br>
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I’ll let you rest with that thought for a moment. <br>
<br>
Unfortunately, Booker wasn’t letting me anywhere near his magnificence. He had it sucked up so far in the sheath, he could probably taste it. <br>
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That’s when it occurred to me that on Booker’s yearly vet visits, he was sedated for this procedure because the vet did it at the same time as his dental check up. Seems unfair to me. How’s a simple farmer supposed to compete with the good drugs? <br>
<br>
After about a half hour of trying to cajole an increasing annoyed horse to drop his goods, I finally gave up on the cleaning and decide to wait for a vet.<br>
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But (I know you’re squirming in your seat already) later that day, my daughter gave him a good cantering workout. So guess what happened while we brushed him out? You got it. Booker relaxed and his magnificence poked out of his sheath to say hello.<br>
<br>
So I grabbed it. <br>
<br>
Yep. I did that. My daughter screamed, “Don’t touch that!” Booker wasn’t impressed by this idea either. Thank god he’s not a kicker, but it was a near thing. On the upside, I managed to give it a quick scrub and out popped a bean! Yuck, but yay! <br>
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Problem solved, yes? No. Booker still needed a proper cleaning, and after all my forwardness, he wasn’t about to go back to holding hands.<br>
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Lucky for us, a new vet moved into our area. He came to do “teeth and sheath” as it’s called. And yes, he sedated Booker. And yes, he got to see Booker in all his glory. After the cleaning, the vet suggested that I, um, fondle my horse regularly. That’s right. Every time I brush him or pick out his feet I’ve got to give Booker’s boy parts a good squeeze. And then he gets a cookie. This is suppose to help him get use to me fussing around down there. Will it work? Booker is 18. I’m not sure he’s going to learn any new tricks. But after I got the $500 vet bill, I’m willing to try. <br>
<hr>
<br>
So as we continue to set up our hobby farm, there will be more animal antics. Do you want to read more farmyard tales in future newsletters? They won’t be all as funny/gross as this one. Some may even be sad. Take the poll below. You can reply right to this post or vote anonymously at the poll page here: <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/poll">https://kimmcdougall.com/poll</a><br>
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• Yes. I laughed so hard, I snorted (insert favorite beverage) from my nose.<br>
• Maybe. This was amusing and I’d be okay with more critter stories.<br>
• Um, no.<br>
• I’m traumatized and will never read your blog/newsletter again.
<div style="text-align: center;"><a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Unicorns-Don-t-Cry"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/8788d49d-812d-4a13-8cde-927128d041f7/250;375;b851a57c214cf47d0a0e6c23af359967e3ca0e1c.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/8788d49d-812d-4a13-8cde-927128d041f7/250;375;b851a57c214cf47d0a0e6c23af359967e3ca0e1c.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a></div>
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Of course Kyra has to deal with all manner of animal issues as a pest-controller/rescuer in the Valkyrie Bestiary tales. For instance, in <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/dragons-don-t-eat-meat"><em>Dragons Don’t Eat Meat</em></a> (Book 1) she has to sift through dragon scat to find a bloodstone that the little critter swallowed. Fun times. And in Book 8, she rescues a unicorn high on hoodoo. I’ll tell you more about the inspiration behind that character in a future newsletter. <br>
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Don’t forget that <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Unicorns-Don-t-Cry"><em>Unicorns Don’t Cry</em></a> is now pre-ordering at special pre-release prices.
<h3>Valkyrie Bestiary Cage Fights</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/429c3470-9170-4b84-abfc-2a1c5ed06dc3/550;275;81c014fa9da0234f8850161cac96159f67e954bc.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/429c3470-9170-4b84-abfc-2a1c5ed06dc3/550;275;81c014fa9da0234f8850161cac96159f67e954bc.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
<br>
The battle for the Supreme Valkyrie Beast continues all month. Check out past winners the <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Valkyrie-Bestiary-Cage-Fights">Cage Fights Page</a>. This week's fight is between a satyr and a basilisk in the Light Weight Division. One of these contenders may take home the title Master of the Inbetween. And you get to decide. The fun is all happening on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank">Valkyrie Bestiary Discussion Group</a> on Facebook. Join now to vote!</div>
<h3>Book Fairs & Events</h3>
Apart from the online book fairs below, I'm participating in a few in-person local events this fall. You can view those and more online markets on the <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/book-fairs">Book Fairs Page</a>. <br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/shiftinseptsales/kw8ky62p2r"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/9c2c301a-6e8c-4e47-8fd0-6745a390237a/600;204;139f30348fbf83fbe9873c3c13922e8e521bf0ca.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/9c2c301a-6e8c-4e47-8fd0-6745a390237a/600;204;139f30348fbf83fbe9873c3c13922e8e521bf0ca.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/paraurbansept2023/x14sv0gqik"><img alt="" class="lazyload ls-is-cached" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/6d1c6c43-dfa6-4e31-8689-98c9aa650f90/600;204;3078098dfd708b7d473fabdc7ef31cf24d069af9.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/6d1c6c43-dfa6-4e31-8689-98c9aa650f90/600;204;3078098dfd708b7d473fabdc7ef31cf24d069af9.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a></div>
<h3>Spotlight Books</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/splinteredmagic"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/28f665f3-2459-4d05-89ef-b9af80f72b0b/600;900;a3f32ff02e64b357d88796d3138ba717631aec70.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/28f665f3-2459-4d05-89ef-b9af80f72b0b/600;900;a3f32ff02e64b357d88796d3138ba717631aec70.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); height:auto; width:344px"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Splintered Magic<br>
Book #1<br>
Jilleen Dolbeare<br>
<br>
I love this series! Mr. Mittens is one of my favorite kitty characters of all time. Here's a blurb:</strong><br>
<br>
Brigid Donovan is down on her luck. Her husband dumped her for the biggest stereotype around, his secretary, and her family mansion is a decaying wreck. All she wants is to get it restored, enjoy the peace and quiet of living in eight hundred acres of primordial forest, and rebuild her life.<br>
<br>
Fate seems to be against her. First, her cat starts to speak to her. And what does he say? He's not what he seems to be—seriously? Like a talking cat is normal. He does tell her that she's the great-granddaughter of a fae lord, and very powerful. Only, that doesn't seem right. Where's her magic? Why didn't her family tell her?<br>
<br>
Things aren't as picture perfect as they seem in her hometown of Kilchis, Oregon. In fact, they haven't been for a long time. For one thing, her restoration team is a pack of werewolves, and her new bestie is a witch. What's going on? Brigid has to find out fast or she could lose it all—her mind, her magic, and her life.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/splinteredmagic" target="_blank">Get SPLINTERED MAGIC</a></h4>
<div style="text-align: center;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://books2read.com/ghostsofthecatacombs"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/8b121e0b-6585-4289-8f51-c250609112a2/600;900;a36b3a62d42b6637da5eebbba0f4a70b9d1e8563.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/8b121e0b-6585-4289-8f51-c250609112a2/600;900;a36b3a62d42b6637da5eebbba0f4a70b9d1e8563.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); height:auto; width:344px"></a><br>
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<strong>Ghosts of the Catacombs<br>
Parisian Ghosts Book #1<br>
Janna Ruth<br>
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This series is on my TBR list. I can't wait to get into it. Here's a blurb:</strong><br>
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I'm a ghost whisperer, not a catacomb crawler. But when you live in Paris, sometimes you end up being both.<br>
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Hi, I’m Alix. During the day, I’m a history student at the time-honoured Sorbonne University. After class, I hang out with the ghosts of the revolution, the many undead misunderstood Parisian artists, and adventurous scientists that glow in the dark. None of them are alive, but they come to me to solve their problems with the living.<br>
When a recently deceased catacomb tour guide asks me to retrieve a mysterious personal item from the underground, things take a turn for the weird. Suddenly, I find myself in a city of ghosts, hunted by murderous cave crawlers, and stumbling across haunting secrets.<br>
If I’m not careful now, I might end up a ghost myself.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/ghostsofthecatacombs" target="_blank">Get GHOSTS OF THE CATACOMBS</a></h4>
<h3> </h3>
tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-09-08:/entries/dc1ff0e7-75af-4680-9806-b601d1900645A scene 8 books in the making2023-09-08T10:37:00-04:002023-09-08T10:59:31-04:00<div>
<img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/8788d49d-812d-4a13-8cde-927128d041f7/250;375;b851a57c214cf47d0a0e6c23af359967e3ca0e1c.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/8788d49d-812d-4a13-8cde-927128d041f7/250;375;b851a57c214cf47d0a0e6c23af359967e3ca0e1c.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); float:left">Whew</div>
It's done.<br>
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Today I sent Unicorns Don't Cry off to my wonderful editor, Elaine Jackson for a final proofread.<br>
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This one took a lot out of me but in a good ways and sad ways. The final scene in this book is one that I envisioned way back in 2018 when I first started sketching out a story arc for the series. This is a scene where Kyra finally faces off with Terra, the god who took back the world during the Flood Wars some fifty years before. It took 8 books to get there, and that puts a bit of pressure on when writing the scene. In fact, I threw out the entire the first draft of that chapter and rewrote it because I wasn't happy with how it turned out. Then I sulked for a few days. Then I put on my big-girl pants and tried again. I'm really happy with the end result and I hope you will be too. <br>
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There were a few other deeply emotional impacts for me with this story. One is the inspiration for the little unicorn on the cover. The other is how art imitates life sometimes. I'll come to those in upcoming newsletters. <br>
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I also really enjoyed creating new creatures to populate the Inbetween. Some of them are just short encounters, like this cute little sunflower being in the snippet below.
<h3>Snippet - Unicorns Don't Cry</h3>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/0d280699-a75f-4d68-8656-d485c84cb170/cropped/400;400;7cb9df02ebf8bcf63307d70895a47707d49458b5.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/0d280699-a75f-4d68-8656-d485c84cb170/cropped/400;400;7cb9df02ebf8bcf63307d70895a47707d49458b5.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); float:right">My keening reached deep into the forest. Its magic pierced through layers of spring growth and winter rot. It scuttled along the forest floor and crept through the newly budding branches high above. Sitting in a small clearing, I let the feedback wash over me. I was a bloodhound, but instead of scents, I filtered magic.</div>
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Beside me, a single sunflower grew out of the loamy soil. About as tall as me while I sat, its head was heavy with seeds and bowed low. Yellow petals twitched. The head tipped sideways revealing two round eyes and a puckered mouth.<br>
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“Got anyfing to eats?” The green leaves reached out like a begging hand.<br>
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“No. Shush. I’m listening.”<br>
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“Listening to whatsis?” The creature asked.<br>
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“To the forest.”<br>
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Petals vibrated.<br>
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“Ain’t nofing there. Whatsis in your pack? Food maybe, yes?”<br>
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“Food maybe no. Now shush.”<br>
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The sunflower head leaned sideways to snuffle at my pack.<br>
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“You lied! I smell whatsis good stuff in there!”<br>
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“Fine.” I opened the pack and reached in. My hand brushed against the rough husk of the shar-lil before I found my emergency rations. I pulled out the square of dense molasses cake Dutch had made the night before. Leafy hands reached for it, but I held the wax-paper wrapped cake out of reach.<br>
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“You can have it if you promise to keep quiet.”<br>
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“Quiet as a whatsis.” The sunflower head bobbed. I handed over the cake.<br>
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“Thank you, missus.” The creature pulled root-like feet from the earth, first one then the other, and ponderously stalked off.<br>
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I sighed. If a talking sunflower was the worst thing I found in the Inbetween today, it was a good day.
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Unicorns-Don-t-Cry">PRE-ORDER UNICORNS DON'T LIE</a></h4>
<h3>Reading Order</h3>
Are you new to the Valkyrie Bestiary Series? Or do you want to re-read Kyra's adventures before the new release? If so, you might be wondering what is the best reading order for the series. It seems simple because, hey, the books are numbered 1 through 8, right? Yes, but…there are 3 prequel novellas and 2 companions books. So where do they fit in?<br>
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My suggestion would be this: <br>
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The full length novels of the Valkyrie Bestiary should be read in order because there are definite character and story arcs to follow. The shorter novellas and novelettes add details to Kyra's backstory, and don't need to be read in any order to be enjoyed. However, readers may appreciate the novellas more after being immersed in Kyra's world. I would suggest reading books 1-3 before starting the prequels. <br>
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Here is a handy chart to better understand. And if you're a purist and would prefer to read the stories in chronological order, visit the <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/valkyrie-bestiary-reading-order">Valkyrie Bestiary Reading Order Page</a> for the chronological list.
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/e7a9d9a5-9c38-416f-bd75-4a60f508a0d3/400;600;f412e6c5a759e2d32b5c99bf5b26db80c13f7bc7.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/e7a9d9a5-9c38-416f-bd75-4a60f508a0d3/400;600;f412e6c5a759e2d32b5c99bf5b26db80c13f7bc7.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
<h3>Book News</h3>
<strong>Now pre-ordering:</strong> <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Unicorns-Don-t-Cry"><em>Unicorns Don't Cry</em></a>, Valkyrie Bestiary Book 8. Release date is October 19, 2023. Get your ebook now at special pre-release pricing.<br>
<strong>New audiobook:</strong> <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/ghouls-dont-scamper"><em>Ghouls Don't Scamper</em></a>, Valkyrie Bestiary Book 6 is now available in audiobook. Order now or listen to a sample at kimmcdougall.com/ghouls-dont-scamper.<br>
<strong>Become an ARC Reader</strong>: I'm looking to grow my street team for both ebooks and audiobooks. If you enjoy reviewing books, you might be perfect for the team. There are some restrictions, so please fill out the appropriate forms. Join the ebook ARC Team <a href="https://forms.gle/Ap9RM3ckqCdhkso1A" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Join the audiobook ARC Team <a href="https://forms.gle/sHGEo3GKHjxkqzXBA" target="_blank">HERE</a>.
<h3>Valkyrie Bestiary Cage Fights</h3>
The Battle is on to determine the <strong>Supreme Valkyrie Beast!</strong> Every week on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank">Valkyrie Bestiary Discussion Group on Facebook</a>, you get to decide the winner in a creature match up.<br>
So far, Grim, the Grimalkin beat out Princess, the Hell Hound in the Heavy Weight Division. Readers agree, that Grim's night sun jaguar had the edge. And the pooka beat out the brownie in the Light Weight Division (but only because he was high on chocolate). <br>
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These winners will go onto the quarter finals. Once we have a final match up, we'll use it as an excuse to have a party and give away some prizes!<br>
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Join us in the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank">Discussion Group</a> for this week's contenders in the Adorable Weight Division. <br>
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[Image item]<br>
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<strong>Week 3 (Sep 8): Adorable Weight Division—Ultimate Inbetween Cutie-Patootie Round 1<br>
Jacoby (fire dervish) vs Kale (yggie)</strong><br>
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Everyone remembers Jacoby, Kyra’s dervish apprentice, but Kale, the yggie, won hearts in Book 6, Ghouls Don’t Scamper. Both battled it out on the page for Kyra’s praise, now you get to decide the real winner in this match-up. Defend your answer in the comments.
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank">Vote on the Cage Fights on the Valkyrie Bestiary Discussion Group (Facebook)</a></h4>
<h3>Book Fairs & Events</h3>
I'm starting to line up in-person events for the fall. I have the first one booked for September 17, 2023: Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice, Craft & Vendor Market. 10am-4pm Petawawa Civic Centre ~ Arena Floor, 16 Civic Centre Rd, Petawawa. Check out the <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/book-fairs">Book Fairs page</a> for updates. <br>
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<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/dragonextravaganza/ix29dqp2dy" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/348dbe68-d08f-4f33-bc81-dd70ae844797/800;244;50ce0c4667f2914561e1e9f6104f7b0df4f1988a.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/348dbe68-d08f-4f33-bc81-dd70ae844797/800;244;50ce0c4667f2914561e1e9f6104f7b0df4f1988a.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
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<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/trynewfantasyauthorsfreeseptember/4d7ztdemtt" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/edb85c5d-f80e-42d8-8552-4f5040da0630/800;270;256f00559f9bd6dc582f19c7f5d0ea4edcbb3766.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/edb85c5d-f80e-42d8-8552-4f5040da0630/800;270;256f00559f9bd6dc582f19c7f5d0ea4edcbb3766.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a>
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<h3>Spotlight Books</h3>
<div><a href="https://dl.bookfunnel.com/iermmhzucg" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/109ff2a7-2824-490c-9c34-3498fba93c05/250;375;0ee7ff6903f2c1903e73782a0e3a21b856b56898.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/109ff2a7-2824-490c-9c34-3498fba93c05/250;375;0ee7ff6903f2c1903e73782a0e3a21b856b56898.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); float:left"></a></div>
<strong>Artic Hunter<br>
Kaylin Peyerk</strong><br>
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The red shifter line wants my blood, but the red prince desires my heart. <br>
Ashe has lived an isolated, quiet life taking care of her twin sisters within their cabin in the woods. They are arctic wolf shifters, the rarest, and most sought after lineage in the paranormal world. While their family was once the ruling alpha pack, an uprising exiled them and landed them in the Great Woods. Shortly after, their parents vanished, leaving Ashe to care for her sisters and to ensure they're never found.<br>
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Yet her naïve sisters refuse to be kept isolated, enrolling themselves and Ashe into the High Fae Academy for gifted supernaturals without her knowledge. Now, Ashe must navigate the politics of the academy shifter packs all while dealing with mean girls, sinfully sexy males, and her inner demons.<br>
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Will Ashe be successful in protecting all that she holds dear?<br>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://dl.bookfunnel.com/iermmhzucg" target="_blank">Get ARTIC HUNTER</a></h4>
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tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-08-18:/entries/6765e0d7-e32a-4e5e-a667-b017bcf1cbb2Valkyrie Bestiary Cage Fights2023-08-18T08:33:00-04:002023-08-18T08:54:25-04:00For the next few months I'll be organizing a just-for-fun tournament between Valkyrie Bestiary creatures and characters. Who is the toughest of the lot? You get to decide. <br>
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I have 16 first round contenders lined-up. Winners from those bouts will go onto round to. Eventually, we'll pick one winner and use it as an excuse to throw a party and give out some prizes.<br>
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You are invited! The fun will start next Friday (August 25) and every Friday for the next 30 weeks or so on the Valkyrie Bestiary Facebook discussion group. Note :the posts will stay active for a week, with the fight winner decided the following Friday. See a sample fight below.
<div><strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank">Join the Valkyrie Bestiary FB Discussion Group</a></strong></div>
<h2> </h2>
<h3>Welcome to Valkyrie Bestiary Cage Fights</h3>
Here's a sample of a first round cage-fight.
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/7bdd5213-7dbc-4494-8d41-db95ca9ab94e/550;275;72c43c7474f2429e9349114d153b8428196ff0be.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/7bdd5213-7dbc-4494-8d41-db95ca9ab94e/550;275;72c43c7474f2429e9349114d153b8428196ff0be.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
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<strong>Gita vs Angus</strong><br>
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The fight is on! Banshee vs Greenman! She's got the scream to end all screams, but don't discount the gargoyle with green magic at his fingertips! You pick the winner, but you've got to tell me why. Who would win in a battle between Gita and Angus? You can reply right in the comments below.<br>
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Winners of each pairing will go on to round 2. If you need a refresher on these characters, check out <a href="https://valkyriebestiary.com/banshee" target="_blank">Kyra’s blog article about banshees</a> or <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/vb-characters">Angus's character sheet</a>.<br>
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As I mentioned, this is all just in good fun. We'll even have a battle to determine the cutest critter in the Valkyrie Bestiary world. So be sure to join the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2211182565731937" target="_blank">FB discussion group</a> to see all the match-ups. We're a pretty laid back group anyway. You get to chat with other VB readers and post your favorite critters from real life and mythology. <br>
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When we decide the ultimate Valkyrie Bestiary Beast, we'll throw a party with some free books and other prizes. I hope you'll hop over to join us!
<h3>Book News</h3>
<strong><em>Unicorns Don't Cry</em></strong> now pre-ordering. In case you missed the last newsletter, Valkyrie Bestiary Book 8 is now up for pre-order. Check out the beautiful new cover and secure your ebook at special pre-release prices <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Unicorns-Don-t-Cry">HERE</a>. Release date is October 19, 2023. As always, I will have the paperback up a few days ahead of time so everyone can enjoy the new release at the same time.<br>
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<strong>Audiobook news and a call for ARC listeners.</strong> <em>Ghouls Don't Scamper</em>, VB Book 6 will be available in audio in the next few weeks. Book 7 & 8 will be going into production this Oct/Jan. I'm looking for avid audiobook listeners who would like to get a free audiobook code to hear book 6 in return for an honest review. The only criteria would be that you need a Spotify account (a free account is fine) and you need to have read/listened to the first 5 books. If you would be interested in being ad advance reviewer, please use the CONTACT page to get in touch. <br>
<h3>What's Kim Reading?</h3>
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<img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/b6c029fc-20ee-4e2b-9b7c-65f120ff640e/550;308;c56ff9111bccfc2c6c0e6d421ba0a557241caca5.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/b6c029fc-20ee-4e2b-9b7c-65f120ff640e/550;308;c56ff9111bccfc2c6c0e6d421ba0a557241caca5.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"><br>
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<strong>Shadow Hunter<br>
Rosie O’Grady’s Paranormal Bar and Grill, Book 1<br>
BR Kingsolver</strong><br>
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I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while and when I saw that the audiobook is part of Kobo Plus, I snapped it up. It did not disappoint. The MC has a fascinating back story that she’s running from. It’s the reason for her kick-a$$ abilities but it also influences the way she thinks and views the world. I particularly found that part very well written and thoughtful.<br>
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Add to that some great action, a found family and a bar that caters to the paranormal and this series is quickly becoming a favorite. I just wish for once, I could walk through a ward and find a bar like Rosie O’Grady’s!<br>
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I listened to this on Kobo Plus. The narrator was excellent and was able to create unique voices for each character that added to enjoyment of the story.<br>
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<strong>Visit <a href="https://brkingsolver.com" target="_blank">BR KINGSOLVER'S</a> website</strong><br>
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<h3>Book Fairs & Events</h3>
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You'll notice that I listened to BR Kingsolver's book on Kobo Plus, and one of the book fairs below is devoted to Kobo Plus too. If you're not familiar with it, this is a subscription service, sort of like Amazon's Kindle Unlimited and Audible combined. One reasonable monthly fee lets you choose from a huge selection of ebooks and audiobooks. Authors like it because Kobo doesn't demand exclusivity, so it's a win-win for all. Check out the Kobo Plus fair below. Links to Kobo will be included. <br>
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There are more awesome deals and info about in-person book signing on the <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/book-fairs">Book Fairs page</a>.<br>
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<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/koboplusaug2023/r7uc9cjftk" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/0c60d144-4f09-446d-aa4b-ffa2d6741ee8/600;199;a9b1d70763b3d03e719417840a2dd221beda2b22.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/0c60d144-4f09-446d-aa4b-ffa2d6741ee8/600;199;a9b1d70763b3d03e719417840a2dd221beda2b22.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/freeand99pennypnrscififantromaug/c39kjsj8ql" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/5589e5dc-4b8a-494b-9439-b70734e90fa4/600;201;2fe1dc73c243bac4504ad9f839debdfebfbd46c0.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/5589e5dc-4b8a-494b-9439-b70734e90fa4/600;201;2fe1dc73c243bac4504ad9f839debdfebfbd46c0.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/augcompleteseriesbingefantasyscifi/lwapy2u0jr" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/026646f2-ff30-41c1-a091-88e8647ff88d/600;229;2a6265581cfd51db0419d51154e08970dd0e469f.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/026646f2-ff30-41c1-a091-88e8647ff88d/600;229;2a6265581cfd51db0419d51154e08970dd0e469f.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a><br>
<h3>Spotlight Books</h3>
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<img alt="" class="ls-is-cached lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/954f6fd5-5e58-4555-8aad-fd4adaa591db/250;390;86e03391e6fdf15886e2dda3954cd93b6de5081e.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/954f6fd5-5e58-4555-8aad-fd4adaa591db/250;390;86e03391e6fdf15886e2dda3954cd93b6de5081e.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"><br>
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<strong>Shooting Star<br>
Charli B Rose</strong><br>
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Once upon a time, I was a djinn princess betrothed to a man I wasn't in love with. So I stole the proverbial magic lamp & ran away. For many years, I bounced through time & space, floating through life. It wasn't ideal, but at least I was free. Then I met Nox & found a reason to stay in one place. Everything was perfect until we visited a psychic at the local carnival. Now my past was threatening my future, & Nox just might learn that I was a liar. Too bad genies weren't allowed to make wishes.<br>
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<a href="https://dl.bookfunnel.com/qmf2fmwa3n" target="_blank"><strong>Get SHOOTING STAR</strong></a>tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-08-03:/entries/ea16b56b-78f0-4786-9196-005b1f51da73Valkyrie Bestiary Book 8 now pre-ordering2023-08-04T05:07:00-04:002023-08-04T08:16:07-04:00I took a bit of a break from newsletters and social media in July to finish the manuscript for Valkyrie Bestiary Book 8. And, of course, July flew by but not without some important updates. The cover is finally here!<br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/47b3e9e0-18ad-40d7-811e-c3a17a961f17/400;600;74e833cd3bdd3295e8248b59f66cb180ccdc78a2.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/47b3e9e0-18ad-40d7-811e-c3a17a961f17/400;600;74e833cd3bdd3295e8248b59f66cb180ccdc78a2.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
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<em>Unicorns Don't Cry </em>ebook is now available for pre-order. Be sure to snap it up before release day on October 19th to take advantage of special pre-release pricing. As always, I will get the paperback up a few days early so that everyone can enjoy it at the same time.<br>
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Kayla Schweisberger, the artist behind the last 4 VB book covers has outdone herself with this one, and I'm really thrilled to show it off. Here's a little blurb too:<br>
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<strong>Critter wrangler rule #20: You can’t save them all.</strong><br>
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Rage is boiling inside Kyra. Friends are dead, the world is burning, and her husband is…gone, his body and mind taken over by a demon. Death would have been kinder. But she can’t kill a demon, so Kyra must hunt down the creature wearing Mason’s face and do the unthinkable—trap him for all eternity in a bloodstone.<br>
<br>
In between hunting expeditions, Kyra continues to rescue critters in need, including a unicorn whose rage matches her own after spending years as a frat house mascot, and the shar-lil, a creature of immense power whose destiny has yet to reveal itself.<br>
Can Kyra stop a demon, save her growing family and still be an advocate for those creatures who have no voice of their own?<br>
<br>
<em>Unicorns Don’t Cry</em> is Book 8 of the Valkyrie Bestiary, a dark and humorous Urban Fantasy series.
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://geni.us/8-UDC-ebook" target="_blank">PRE-ORDER UNICORNS DON'T LIE</a></h2>
<h2>What's Kim Reading?</h2>
<br>
Continuing with my summer of reading only indie authors, I picked up this little gem:<br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/d2c5999f-f49d-46cd-86d8-1a76815d16c3/550;308;3e3992d34f57c3bbdeef01009eae88da5037150c.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/d2c5999f-f49d-46cd-86d8-1a76815d16c3/550;308;3e3992d34f57c3bbdeef01009eae88da5037150c.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
<br>
<strong>Immortal<br>
The Imogen Gray Series Book 1<br>
by Lauretta Hignett<br>
316 pages</strong><br>
<br>
Let me introduce you to Leroy. He’s 12 but looks scrawny enough to be only 10. That’s because his mother is an addict who’d rather buy drugs than food. She even sold him to a blood witch for cash. Leroy’s had a hard life, but it has honed him rather than defeated him. He’s smart and funny and endearingly kid-like, not overly precocious as you often see in kid characters (I’m looking at you Princess Leia).<br>
<br>
Here’s Leroy regurgitating the MC’s rather horrific advice back to her:<br>
<br>
>> I looked at the kid, lying on the couch. “He’s better at looking after himself than you think,” I told her. “Leroy, what do you do at the first sign of trouble?”<br>
“I run,” he recited absently, typing on the keyboard. “I run until my feet are bloody stumps, then I crawl with my hands until they are bloody stumps, then I keep going.”<br>
“Good kid.” <<<br>
<br>
And then there’s Sonja, a vampire who has been given to the MC by her liege lord as a gopher. Sonja hates the MC with a fiery passion and makes no bones about it. Sonja keeps threatening the MC with colorful warnings such as:<br>
<br>
>> “I’m going to rip out your intestines and string them through these very trees,” she hissed at me. “I’m going to pluck out your eyeballs and give them to the fly-fishing club to use as bait.” <<<br>
<br>
And then there’s the witch and her bear-shifter wife and the octogenarian priest who tries to exorcise raccoons and other nasties with a water gun filled with holy water.<br>
<br>
Why am I pointing out all these side characters when the MC is Imogen Gray who rocks the humor and compassion already? Because I believe it’s the mark of a great author when the minor characters are so well-developed and memorable.<br>
<br>
I finished this Imogen Gray book a few days ago, but I’m still thinking about it. Imogen is a unique character in that she’s thousands of years old. As a result of her long life, she has some social issues that keep her isolated. But what really makes me love her is her reluctant compassion. She doesn’t want to be responsible for a pre-teen, but she steps up when no one else will. She doesn’t want to like the water-gun toting priest, but she does. She even helps him on his demon hunting crusade.<br>
<br>
Add to all these great characters a bunch of unique cryptids and mad blood-witch hell-bent on ruling the world and you’ve got the makings of a great series. I can’t wait for the next one. Lauretta Hignett has created a really fun, fast-paced story with characters I wish I could call my BFFs.<br>
<br>
I read this on Kindle Unlimited.<br>
<br>
Note, that the man with the wolf in the picture above is the man I imagine Leroy will grow up to be, with Imogen’s help, of course.
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://laurettahignett.com" target="_blank">Visit Lauretta Hignett's webisite</a></h2>
<h2>Book Fairs & Events</h2>
I'm starting to line up in-person events for the fall. I have the first one booked for September 17, 2023: Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice, Craft & Vendor Market. 10am-4pm Petawawa Civic Centre ~ Arena Floor, 16 Civic Centre Rd, Petawawa. Check out the Book Fairs page for updates. <br>
<br>
Click on the banners below for more great book deals.<br>
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<h2>Spotlight Books</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/85fa2d22-9189-41bc-8a76-3037057f9128/250;377;2d0ee45ed6d9a7531f5c1fb23110f72f2f738c39.png" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/85fa2d22-9189-41bc-8a76-3037057f9128/250;377;2d0ee45ed6d9a7531f5c1fb23110f72f2f738c39.png" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br>
<strong>Immortal Dusk<br>
TJ Green</strong><br>
<br>
A citadel crowned in ice. An ancient message that contains a warning. The clash of ancient powers.<br>
<br>
Nahum thinks he’s accompanying Olivia on a simple retrieval for The Orphic Guild, but finds something far more sinister. Relics connected to the Fallen.<br>
<br>
Relics that can send people mad and incite violence.<br>
<br>
But he hasn’t the time or resources to deal with them now. The Nephilim are spread thin. JD needs an artefact to unlock the Emerald Tablet, and a team are sent to Egypt to steal it.<br>
<br>
Behind everything lurks the threat of Black Cronos. The hunt for the mysterious Comte de St Germain’s base continues, and their research takes Barak and Estelle to the Pyrenees, and a remote citadel on a snowy mountain top.<br>
<br>
With the Nephilim tied up with their various pursuits, Harlan, Jackson, and Olivia are vulnerable. They think they’re prepared—until they’re attacked and Jackson is kidnapped.<br>
<br>
As events connect, the threat intensifies. Everyone must remain vigilant, or they will lose everything.</div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/ImmortalDusk" target="_blank">Get IMMORTAL DUSK</a></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/spiritseekerbox" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/f4172a0b-4d91-472f-bb2d-8690feb73aab/400;470;18151186ee15549093744134817f1dc7227d3e2c.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/f4172a0b-4d91-472f-bb2d-8690feb73aab/400;470;18151186ee15549093744134817f1dc7227d3e2c.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"> </h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br>
<strong>Spirit Seeker: The Complete Series<br>
Jana Ruth</strong><br>
<br>
Angry nature spirits. Stubborn elite soldiers. A homeless girl is all that stands between them, but which side will she take?<br>
<br>
Rika can talk to spirits. For her, it has always been natural, but most people can't see the many nature spirits inhabiting Europe's wild places. They're the ones behind wild weathers and natural disasters. To Rika, they're her friends.<br>
<br>
Eight years ago, the police took her Mum and sent Rika to a youth home. Two months later, Rika escaped. She's been living on the streets of Berlin ever since, finding shelter from friendly bush dryads and warmth during long winter nights from fiery salamanders. But when she crosses the Erlking, a powerful storm sprite, Rika's only chance are the Spirit Seekers, elite soldiers in the war against nature. And her spirit friends' bitter enemies. To face the storm, Rika must pick a side and relinquish all hopes for peace.<br>
<br>
If you like fast-paced adventure, action-packed urban fantasy with unique creatures, and secret societies, you'll love the Spirit Seekers. This series will take you on a supernatural sight-seeing tour around Europe. In this collection, you will find the complete series plus the prequel: Natural Selection.</div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/spiritseekerbox" target="_blank">GET SPIRIT SEEKER</a></h2>
<br>
tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-07-06:/entries/2f773464-4755-4849-ad34-345333ca995fTitle Reveal: Valkyrie Bestiary Book 82023-07-07T06:14:00-04:002023-07-06T20:46:20-04:00My experiment of working in my little forest office has been a success! If you missed the newsletter where I talk about that, you can see it <a href="https://kimmcdougall.com/entries/general/Summer-retreats-catastrophic-fires--and-festive-pastures" target="_blank">HERE</a>. The calm and distraction-free forest has let me nearly double my daily word count, and I should have a rough draft of Valkyrie Bestiary Book 8 completed by next week.<br>
<br>
<strong>And I have a title! </strong><br>
<br>
Yep, this one took a little longer to reveal itself to me, but here it is.<br>
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Drum roll please…<br>
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<strong>Valkyrie Bestiary Book 8 will be titled: <em>Unicorns Don’t Cry</em>.</strong><br>
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Of course, since this is the Inbetween, the unicorn in question won’t be the sparkly, rainbow-farting kind. The title is inspired by this sweet and heart-wrenching critter. His name is Chug. And he’s a had a hard life. Thank the One-eyed God that’s about to change.
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/7c88ffee-7f55-4d70-8b55-0e0148e03a44/500;500;b96ca8905e0a87496f9dc9a3a3b83a2cf132bb31.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/7c88ffee-7f55-4d70-8b55-0e0148e03a44/500;500;b96ca8905e0a87496f9dc9a3a3b83a2cf132bb31.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
<br>
Note that I created this image using Midjourney, an AI art tool. There's a lot of talk (and arguing) about AI generated art and books Lately. I want to assure my readers that I won’t be using AI for any of my writing. That would take away one of my greatest joys in life, the creation of stories. <br>
<br>
Nor will I be using AI to create covers because I truly value the collaboration and input I get from artists. Also, the legalities of AI art haven’t been thoroughly vetted yet. I’d rather be safe than sorry.<br>
<br>
However, I find AI art amazing for finding inspiration. Sometimes the Midjourney comes up with exactly what I imagined, like this image of Gita, the Banshee.
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/5c97c4b1-dc3c-4a71-adea-d5209860fe2e/500;500;4937df6cdde9c216b8b5baeb5a569ec52656429b.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/5c97c4b1-dc3c-4a71-adea-d5209860fe2e/500;500;4937df6cdde9c216b8b5baeb5a569ec52656429b.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"><br>
</div>
Other times, I get something entirely unexpected, an image that then pushes me to places I hadn’t expected the story to go. Like for this little fella.
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/391a16b6-4005-4c5c-b227-384e54a73e30/600;336;ee69d6cae33f8da53b953e0fd5edd40bd28a69de.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/391a16b6-4005-4c5c-b227-384e54a73e30/600;336;ee69d6cae33f8da53b953e0fd5edd40bd28a69de.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
<br>
This is my interpretation of a coney. You might meet him in Book 8, but remember, no matter how cute he is, don’t turn your back on him! There are more AI-generated critters on Kyra's Blog at <a href="https://valkyriebestiary.com" target="_blank">valkyriebestiary.com</a>.<br>
<br>
Anyway, I know many readers are anxiously waiting to find out what happens to Mason, after that suspenseful ending to Book 7 (**cough, cough…cliff-hanger**). So, like an appetizer to tie you over until supper, here’s a little teaser from <em>Unicorns Don’t Cry</em>. In this scene, Kyra has been called into the Winter Palace by Merrow Farsigh, the new Fae Prime Minister, to explain Mason's absence from Parliament.<br>
<br>
<br>
<span style="color:#3F51B7">In the brighter light of her office, I saw the wear and worry on Merrow’s face. The lines around her eyes and mouth were deeper than I remembered. Instead of sitting, she stood behind the onyx desk that reflected her gaunt form like a mirror. Behind her, floor to ceiling windows showcased the Montreal skyline.<br>
<br>
“What can I help you with?” I asked.<br>
<br>
“Call your husband.”<br>
<br>
She had an uncanny way of talking without movement. <br>
<br>
“What?”<br>
<br>
“Call him.”<br>
<br>
I patted down my jeans. “I left my phone in the car.”<br>
<br>
She hit a contact number on her widget and handed it to me. I held it to my ear like it was a spitting viper.<br>
<br>
A voice-mail answered. “This is Mason. Leave a message or don’t.”<br>
<br>
His voice shot through me like a bolt of ice. She’d dialed his private number, not his office. How many times had I dialed that number just to listen to those few words in my husband’s untainted voice?<br>
<br>
“So where is he?” Merrow raised an eyebrow. <br>
<br>
“He’s—”<br>
<br>
“Don’t feed me that line about him being sick. If it’s true then he’s no longer fit to be Prime Minister. But it’s not true, is it?”<br>
<br>
The question wasn’t a question. It was a hammer falling on Mason’s career. He hadn’t really wanted to be Prime Minister. Oscar had cajoled him into it, but once he took office, he enjoyed the challenge. He made a difference in people’s lives. He was born to lead, and now all that hard work was for nothing.<br>
<br>
“He’s not sick, not really. He’s just not himself. He needs some time away.”<br>
<br>
“It’s been weeks since he attended Parliament.”<br>
<br>
“He needs more time.”<br>
<br>
“Time is a luxury!" She slammed her hand on the desk, a rare show of emotion from the cold fae. "The city keeps on breathing, eating and fighting while he takes his sweet time. The gates are swarming with refugees, half of them dying of the flu. Forest fires are threatening our crops, and I have reports of opji raiders as far east as Hedge. And you say he needs more time? We need him here! I need allies in Parliament, if I’m to solve any of those crises.<br>
<br>
“Ramona is taking care of things.” We both new that as Mason’s Deputy Minister, Ramona Becker was quite capable of running the Party. The only reason she wasn’t PM herself was because she had the unfortunate habit of telling people she didn’t like to fuck off. I didn’t imagine that Ramona was a fan of Merrow.<br>
<br>
“Tell me what’s going on. Tell me now or I’ll have you thrown in a cell for obstructing justice.”<br>
<br>
“I’m not obstructing anything.”<br>
<br>
“Then I’ll have you charged with jay-walking or public urination. I don’t care. Just talk.” Her voice was flat and uncompromising.<br>
<br>
I held in a sigh. I’d known this moment was coming. We couldn’t keep Mason’s affliction secret forever.<br>
<br>
“Mason is…gone.”<br>
<br>
Merrow watched me with lips pressed thin and unreadable dark eyes. She wasn’t going to make this easy.</span><br>
<br>
Look for <em>Unicorns Don't Lie</em>, Valkyrie Bestiary Book 8, in early October. Exact dates and pre-order links to be confirmed soon.
<h2>Book News</h2>
It’s Christmas in July! And what’s better than having a feel-good holiday book to read poolside? Oh, Come All Ye Dragons is on Sale all month for only $0.99. <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/oh-come-all-ye-dragons"><strong>Read an excerpt or buy <em>Oh, Come All Ye Dragons</em>.</strong></a><br>
<br>
<em>Kelpies Don’t Fly</em> Audiobook is now on sale for only $10 at <a href="https://www.audiobooks.com/promotions/promotedBook/597436/kelpies-dont-fly?refId=84359" target="_blank">Audiobooks.com</a>. Sale ends July 12, 2023. Grab it now to add to your Valkyrie Bestiary collection.<br>
<br>
Hidden Coven Series is on sale for 50% off during the <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/59111" target="_blank">Smashwords Annual Summer Sale</a>.
<h2>Book Fairs & Events</h2>
I will be signing books and selling felties at the East Ontario Craft and Gift Market, this Sunday, July 9th, from 10am to 3pm. If you’re in the area I’d love for you to stop by and say hi. Find me at the Kemptvile Municipal Centre.<br>
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For more great deals on books, click on any banner below.<br>
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<h2>Spotlight Books</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://dl.bookfunnel.com/8xmv5wy7fi" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/746f95e6-0b90-4d23-ae85-7b460d138945/250;375;f75719825f99b7cb1e50e431864769cbd7a0d337.jpeg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/746f95e6-0b90-4d23-ae85-7b460d138945/250;375;f75719825f99b7cb1e50e431864769cbd7a0d337.jpeg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Jax-Xon<br>
Alana Khan</strong><br>
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After Tara was stolen from her bed with her four-year-old in her arms, she is rescued by a tribe of huge, green alien males. When she meets handsome Jax-Xon the searing passion is undeniable, but what steals her heart is the tender affection he showers on her and her daughter.<br>
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Can she forge a new life with Jax-Xon?<br>
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This 12,000 word novelette contains a strong female, a swoonworthy green giant, love, heat, and action.<br>
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For readers 18+<br>
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<a href="https://dl.bookfunnel.com/8xmv5wy7fi" target="_blank"><strong>Get JAX-XON now</strong></a><br>
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Tropes: Stranded, Single parent, Friends to lovers, forced proximity, warrior-protector</div>
tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-06-21:/entries/288af80d-a6db-40ab-ad04-72aaaf33d9f0Never stop learning2023-06-23T05:55:00-04:002023-06-22T09:00:00-04:00Since a lot of my stories come from my own experiences, I like to top up my well once in a while by learning new things. Experiences are fiction fodder or brain food, and they just make life interesting. In the past 2 weeks, I took a foraging class, visited a composting facility, and spent the day with a beekeeper. Each of these expeditions, left an indelible mark on me, so don’t be surprised if Kyra decides to talk to the bees or finds a giant composting worm in a future Valkyrie Bestiary Book. <br>
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Here are a few take-aways from my recent excursions.<br>
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• If the zombie apocalypse comes, we can easily eat off the land, at least in the spring and summer. <br>
• Harvest wild plants with care, always leaving enough for the plant to regenerate.<br>
• Compost done right, doesn’t have to smell (too bad).<br>
• Bees produce much more than just honey. There's bee pollen, propolis, wax and food for us by pollinating our crops. <br>
• Keeping bees is as much an art as a science. They are amazing creatures and I could spend all day watching them.<br>
<br>
Will I decide to start my own bee colony? Maybe, but not before we finish our pasture project (pictures in the last newsletter which you can see <a href="https://kimmcdougall.com/entries/general/Summer-retreats-catastrophic-fires--and-festive-pastures" target="_blank">HERE</a>.) Since we bought our little hobby farm, I’ve noticed how easy it is to jump from one project to another, like a dog at a squirrel-fest. There is so much to do. Last week, I had to talk my husband out of buying hip waders so he could clear up blockages in the 2 little streams on the property. I gently took his finger off Amazon's “Buy” button and steered him back to building my pasture. I’ll add updates about that project as they happen.
<h2>Book News</h2>
<a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/kelpies-dont-fly"><em>Kelpies Don’t Fly </em></a>Audiobook is now on sale for only $10 at <a href="http://%20https://www.audiobooks.com/promotions/promotedBook/597436/kelpies-dont-fly?refId=84359" target="_blank">Audiobooks.com</a>. Sale ends July 12, 2023. Grab it now to add to your Valkyrie Bestiary collection.<br>
<br>
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/59111" target="_blank"><em>Hidden Coven</em></a> Series is on sale for 50% off during the Smashwords Annual Summer Sale. Find <em>Hidden Coven</em> and many more at <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos" target="_blank">https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos</a> all month! #SWSale2023 #Smashwords<br>
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Did you get your free eBook, <em>Tales from the Inbetween</em>? It's not available in stores, but only for <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/Readers-Group">newsletter subscribers</a>. See a snippet below.<br>
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In Book 7 (<em>Devil’s Don’t Lie</em>), Kyra asks Emil and Gabe to trap Blondi, a specimen that got loose from the science lab at Raven’s school. The encounter with the specimen happens “off-screen,” so to speak, so I included it as a outtake in <em>Tales from the Inbetween</em>, which is free to all subscribers. If you haven’t claimed your eBook yet, just let me know. You can send me an email on the <a class="nav-link false" href="http://kimmcdougall.com/contact">CONTACT</a> page. <br>
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So here’s the encounter, from Emil’s perspective:<br>
<br>
Gabe turned and shone his light down the long hall. “So what exactly are we hunting anyway?”<br>
<br>
“A mammoth rat eater.” <br>
<br>
Gabe made that scrunchy face he did when something sounded off. “Like an elephant mammoth?”<br>
<br>
“No. A spider. A big one.”<br>
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“Terrific. Venomous?”<br>
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“Mildly. Nothing a big guy like you can’t handle.” Emil patted his shoulder and squeezed the bulging muscle.<br>
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Gabe’s scowl turned into a grin. He leaned in and brushed his lips against Emil’s. It felt like a promise of things to come. <br>
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“So what?” Gabe said. “You’ve got some magical trap or special spider pheromones to lure it in?”<br>
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“Nope. Just these.” Emil unslung the nets that hung on straps over his shoulder. “I brought one for you too.”<br>
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Gabe’s right eyebrow shot up. “You’re kidding me right? We’re supposed to trap a spider as big as an elephant with that?”<br>
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Emil laughed. “Its name might be an exaggeration. More cat-sized than elephant-sized.”<br>
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Gabe swore and shook his head. “A cat-sized spider. And that’s suppose to make me feel better?”<br>
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Emil shrugged. Being alone in a dark room with Gabe sure made him feel better, giant spider or not. He knew Kyra was depending on them, but he wondered how long he could drag out this little adventure. <br>
<br>
A black shape shot from the top shelf and flew at Gabe. Instinct jerked Emil’s hand up. He swatted it with the net, just inches from Gabe’s face. The spider shrieked and flew off on leathery bat-like wings.<br>
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“It flies?” Gabe’s voice rose in a squeak. “No one told me it flies! And what was that sound? Spiders don’t make that noise.”<br>
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Emil suppressed a laugh. “This one does.”<br>
<br>
---<br>
If you want to see what a mammoth rat-eater looks like, check out Kyra's blog at <a href="https://valkyriebestiary.com/mammoth-rat-eater" target="_blank">https://valkyriebestiary.com/mammoth-rat-eater</a>.<br>
<h2>What’s Kim Reading</h2>
Before I talk about my current reads, I want to invite you to check out the Summer Reading Challenge at <a href="https://www.indiefantasyaddicts.com/summer-reading-challenge" target="_blank">Indie Fantasy Fanatics</a>. This is a Facebook Group devoted to great fantasy books by indie authors—fantasy of all subgenera. They have a fun challenge going for the summer where you can join teams and compete for some great prizes. Since I dedicated the rest of the year to reading indie authors, I joined and I’m looking forward to participating. You can see all the info and sign up for the challenge <a href="https://www.indiefantasyaddicts.com/summer-reading-challenge%20" target="_blank">HERE</a>. <br>
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Now onto my most recent read.<br>
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<img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/f4d9abda-d1d7-4259-b82e-2ebf8e0b42ee/250;399;cfd0880bd12c126cf016387b073fcbdcd0131efb.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/f4d9abda-d1d7-4259-b82e-2ebf8e0b42ee/250;399;cfd0880bd12c126cf016387b073fcbdcd0131efb.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"><br>
<strong>imPerfect Magic<br>
By C.N. Rowan</strong><br>
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A heretical priest has been reincarnated for eight centuries to fight evil. Now, he calls Toulouse in the South of France his home, and when that home is threatened by a new power in town, Paul has to use every advantage at his disposal to defeat it. Some of those advantages include friends with strong magics of their own (including one has an angel along for the ride) and some not so friendly allies, who would probably rather kill and/or eat Paul than help him.<br>
<br>
imPerfect Magic is a fresh take on Urban Fantasy. C.N. Rowan has brought together some of the best elements of UF in this gritty tale. There are heroes you can root for, side-kicks that do more than just act as wall-paper, amazing creatures, witty banter, and lots of action. I loved the chapters that tossed me back into the 12th century to relive the last days of the Cathar sect. The purity of those chapters somehow highlighted the unapologetic violence of the modern day story. This is not a book for the faint of heart, but it will make any reader who’s dreamed of a real hero cheer.<br>
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imPerfect Magic is available in paperback, audiobook and eBook (Kindle Unlimited). The audiobook is narrated by the author and he does a terrific job of it.
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tag:kimmcdougall.com,2023-06-09:/entries/c958a34a-b792-483f-952e-532fde47afceSummer retreats, catastrophic fires, and festive pastures2023-06-09T08:48:00-04:002023-06-09T09:07:22-04:00Today, I have some fun and some not-so-fun pictures to share.<br>
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As I write this, an area of forest the size of Belgium is burning only a few hours north of me. Please don’t worry about me. We are all safe. There have been a few local fires, but they were put out quickly. Our only suffering is in the air quality, which you can see by this picture is very poor. <br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/0195bf90-e5fa-46bb-a228-ce66a5f36e5a/400;532;d3a35d0a3eb0fc10614d0e7143d1c66c42a4fad4.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/0195bf90-e5fa-46bb-a228-ce66a5f36e5a/400;532;d3a35d0a3eb0fc10614d0e7143d1c66c42a4fad4.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
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This is our soon-to-be pasture. The yellow sky is disturbing and the air smells smoky (and not the comforting camp-fire smoky smell).<br>
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The news media (US and Canadian) seem fixated on the effects of this smog in the big cities to the south, with barely a mention of the thousands of people and possibly millions of animals displaced by the fires. The whole thing makes me sad. <br>
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Canada is generally a lush green country, at least Quebec and Ontario, where I have lived most of my life. They are not known for catastrophic forest fires like some other, more arid countries. No one I talk to can remember fires as bad as this in our area. I just hope it isn’t a sign of a new normal.<br>
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They say that art imitates life. Sometimes, it’s the other way around. If you read <em>Devils Don’t Lie</em> (no spoilers ahead), you know that Kyra worries about some mysterious fires to the north of Montreal too. I wrote that almost a year ago. But the fires continue to plague the Inbetween in Book 8 (as yet untitled) that I am writing now. It's eerie to be writing about forest fires and look outside my window to see the sun eclipsed by smoke. At least you can be assured my descriptions will be accurate.<br>
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On a happier note, I set up my summer office in our little forest. Here’s a picture from before the fires. <br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/c8257b71-b3da-4c49-a9e4-1c3b647f5dd7/400;532;0e89049f72c64cf8135992dd94c09a24e3b16516.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/c8257b71-b3da-4c49-a9e4-1c3b647f5dd7/400;532;0e89049f72c64cf8135992dd94c09a24e3b16516.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
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This is a little experiment to see if less distractions will improve my daily writing output. I go down there every morning to write (until the smoke became too thick). There’s no internet, no dog, no family always demanding my attention. It’s been fabulous. I feel like I’m lost in the Inbetween and I’ve doubled my daily word count average! Before you worry--yes, I'm safe from mosquitos, chiggers and ticks. And bears. We do have black bears in the area. I haven't seen them yet, but I carry bear mace with me just in case. And I bring a big thermos of coffee with me. It's all good.<br>
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The last picture is of the balloons I set up in our newly planted pasture. <br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/b0430673-281f-4091-936f-88085fc9b140/400;532;b0389af8b334d5f35f300084ef20eebf136b5349.jpg" src="http://kimmcdougall.com/files/resized/b0430673-281f-4091-936f-88085fc9b140/400;532;b0389af8b334d5f35f300084ef20eebf136b5349.jpg" style="border-radius:0px; border:0 solid #000000"></div>
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It was a long time coming, to get the field finally seeded, and we invested a small fortune in special horse mixture grass seed. <br>
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Then we prayed for rain that didn’t come. <br>
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While we wait, the crows are feasting on our fancy seed. Now, I love crows. I’ve been trying to befriend the few that frequent our farm. But I also really need grass if I want to finally bring my horse home. So I bought a bunch of mylar balloons and set them up in the pasture. My neighbors probably think I’m crazy, but so far, the balloons seem to be keeping the crows at bay. And they look very festive ;)<br>
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In the next couple of weeks, I have several outings planned. I’ll be learning from a master forager about finding things to eat in the forest in early summer. I’ll be taking a one-day beekeeping class and I’m taking a trip to a compost facility to learn all about composting. Cuz I’m just that fun. <br>
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Never stop learning! And who knows, maybe Kyra will have to forage in the Inbetween or raise a hive of vampire bees or battle giant composting worms! No knowledge ever goes to waste.<br>
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Until next time, happy summer reading! I’d love to hear about books you recently read and enjoyed, especially if they are by indie authors. You can let me know right in the comments below.<br>
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If you haven't picked up your copy of <em>Devils Don't Lie yet</em>, I hope you'll give it a try. And don't forget to download your free eBook, <em>Tales from the Inbetween</em>. This won't be available in stores. It's only for you, my loyal subscribers.
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
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<h2>Book Fairs & Events</h2>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Spotlight Books</h2>
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<strong>Blade's Destiny<br>
Ishtar's Legacy #3<br>
Lisa Blackwood</strong><br>
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A queen and a male courtesan must find their destiny together.<br>
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Decadence and depravity have long been hallmarks of the Gryphon Court and when a young king dares to bring change, his life is cut short by an assassin’s blade.<br>
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Tirigan, on the run from a life not of his choosing, makes a desperate bid for his future by seeking out the young king who is said to abhor slavery of any kind. But Tirigan is too late and quickly finds himself captured once more.<br>
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Asharru is still grieving her older brother’s death when the crown is thrust upon her. Intelligent and cunning, she knows none in her new court can be trusted. One of them is the mastermind behind her beloved brother’s assassination.<br>
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She needs help and there is only one place left for her to seek it.<br>
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The flesh markets of Nineveh.<br>
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There she plans to acquire a small group of humans and gryphons, free them, restore their dignity, and offer them positions as servants, royal guards, confidants, and spies.<br>
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She is soon drawn to one man in particular. To her horror and hope, she recognizes him as one of Ishtar’s sacred Blades, a warrior born to protect the royal line.<br>
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Tirigan has no love for gryphons, but they must put aside their differences and bond as Blade and Queen if they hope to save their kingdom.</div>
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<strong>Slivers of Memory<br>
Chosen Legends Prequel<br>
A.J Dasher & Kris Ruhler</strong><br>
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Worker by day, volunteer at night. This is fifteen-year-old Arctic’s life. Except he’s far from ordinary, and the print shop he works at is just a cover, a safe base for Metas—people with supernatural abilities.<br>
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But when Metas start disappearing one by one, his trail of clues leads him into a web of danger. Trapped between the secrets of a hidden world and his turbulent past, he becomes the target of a treacherous hunt.<br>
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And that’s just the beginning.<br>
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His encounter with a mysterious girl makes him question everything he’s ever believed in. Together, with her as his only ally, he must risk it all to unearth the truth.<br>
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Even worse, his own forgotten past is coming back to haunt him.<br>
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Who is kidnapping the Metas? Why? And who are the Chosen Legends, with the strange marks on the back of their hands?<br>
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To find the answers, he may have to seek the same people hunting him down.<br>
Before time runs out.</div>
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<hr>P.S. There are new blog posts from Book 7 up on the <a href="https://valkyriebestiary.com" target="_blank">Valkyrie Bestiary Blog</a>, just in case you wondered what a mammoth rat-eater looks like ;)