Oh là là!

Amazon has named THE GLAMOURIST one of the Best Books of the Month for Science Fiction & Fantasy and I’m absolutely thrilled! Hard to believe we’re only one week away from the release of book two in The Vine Witch series. Thank you to everyone who has pre-ordered or plans on reading the story when it comes out!

Take care and stay safe!

**also, if you were expecting an email response from me through this site and haven’t heard back, you might check your spam folder. Seems a few have gone astray lately.

And Now We Have A Cover!

Book three in The Vine Witch series

Another beautiful cover design by Micaela Alcaino. She, of course, did all three covers for The Vine Witch series and I couldn’t be happier. Each one captures the essence of the individual novel in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I love the touch of smoke she’s added to the image for book three. With the incense, perfume, and spices she used to create the mood, you can guess this novel is all about colorful sights and smells. Throw in a jinni in trouble and you get an intoxicating mix of cultures set against the backdrop of southern France. I hope you love these covers as much as I do. Stunning!

And…in other news, I’ve added a few questions to the “About” page beneath my bio. They’re for book clubs to use as a jumping off point for discussion about The Vine Witch. They’re certainly not inclusive, but I figure with a little wine and a book at hand most groups seem to find plenty to talk about with or without guided questions anyway. Happy reading!

We Have a Title for Book Three!

Ack, I did not mean to go so long without an update. However, I wasn’t just slacking off. I finished the draft for book three in The Vine Witch series in mid-March. As is always the case, that was followed by weeks of developmental edits. The first few rounds can be intense as everyone tries to make the story as strong as it can be. After that comes the copy editing, which is the fine detail work of making the words shine and ensuring everything is in order. Usually do a few rounds of those, which we haven’t even started yet, so the lockdown will likely be done before I am with this latest novel.

BUT I wanted to share that we have a title for the third book and it will officially be known from here on out as THE CONJURER. A most intriguing title, I think, though I don’t take credit for it. Clarence, one of the story editors I work with, plucked it out of the storyline. THIS novel is about Sidra the jinni. It’s been fun to explore her rich history in the southern part of France, where the perfume witches are infamous for their scented potions. Of course, her past catches up to her and she finds herself in all sorts of trouble, but you’ll have to wait for the release of book three some time in late 2020 or early 2021 to know the rest.

We don’t have a cover concept yet, which is why you get this odd painting by Hieronymus Bosch titled The Conjurer (1502).

Thanks, as always, for reading! And please take care and stay safe in these unprecedented times. Hunker down. Read a book.

Happenings and Updates

photo by William Bout

I’m finishing up book three in The Vine Witch series. Got a little behind while writing, just due to all the craziness that goes with promoting the release of a first book while simultaneously editing the second one. What I can tell you about the story for book three is that this one involves the perfume witches who work in the south and leans into Sidra’s backstory a bit more. There’s a reason all three women forged a bond while in jail, and this final novel in the series will try to explain why! All the main characters are back, plus a few new ones. Hopefully, it will be a fun finale to the series.

In other news, we’ve sold both Hungarian and Russian rights to The Vine Witch and The Glamourist. How fun is that? The novels will be published in both languages probably some time in 2021.

*edit #1 The good news: We can add Italy to the places The Vine Witch will be published in 2021!

And finally, just a heads up for any comic con fans. I will be at Seattle’s Emerald City Comic Con doing a couple of panels on Thursday, March 12th. I assume we’ll be signing books afterward. May even have some early ARCs of The Glamourist to pass out to a few people. Hope to see you there!

*edit #2 The bad news: This event, unfortunately, has been cancelled by my publisher due to precautions concerning the corona virus in the Seattle area. I apologize as I was looking forward to my first Emerald City Comic Con.

Advance Reader's Copies Have Arrived

Advance reader’s copies of THE GLAMOURIST, book two in THE VINE WITCH SERIES, have landed! It’s a story about stolen wishes, family bloodlines, and hard-earned redemption and I’m so excited to share it with readers.

If you are a blogger and/or reviewer and would like a physical copy of THE GLAMOURIST, email your information to me using the contact form on this site. Please provide your name, mailing address, and the title of your blog or instagram account when requesting.

If you prefer a digital download, you may request a copy of THE GLAMOURIST (47North) at NetGalley.

As always, thank you in advance for reading!

Cover Copy:

A spellbinding novel of bloodlines, self-discovery, and redemption by the author of the Washington Post bestseller The Vine Witch.

Abandoned as a child in turn-of-the-century Paris, Yvette Lenoir has longed to uncover the secrets of her magical heritage and tap her suppressed powers. But what brave and resourceful Yvette has done to survive the streets has made her a fugitive. With a price on her head, she clings to a memento from her past—what she believes to be a grimoire inherited from the mother she never knew. To unlock the secrets of her past, Yvette trusts in one woman to help solve the arcane riddles among its charmed pages.

Elena Boureanu is the vine witch of Chateau Renard, noted for its renowned wines. Even as she struggles with her own bloodline—and its poisonous threat to her future—Elena can’t ignore a friend on the run. Joined by a cunning thief, the proprietor of an enchanted curio shop, and a bewitching black cat, Elena and Yvette are determined to decode Yvette’s mysterious keepsake. But what restless magic will be unleashed? and what are Yvette and Elena willing to risk to become the witches they were destined to be?

***A small disclaimer for those who wish to read an ARC. There are some minor foreign language errors that were inadvertently introduced in the editorial process that are still evident in this uncorrected version. Please forgive those as they should be addressed before final publication in June.