The Witching Vault Archives

Blood Mark News

Have you noticed I haven’t mentioned my new book, Blood Mark, in a while? The crickets are because I’ve been searching for an agent to represent it. I only approached a handful of select agents who had access to the biggest publishers. And though I knew it was a long shot, the last agent who’d shown interest in the manuscript, has turned it down.

The agent wrote that she loved the premise and setting of Blood Mark, the compelling conflict and tension, and added that I am a terrific writer, right down to the sentence level. It’s hard to be upset about getting turned down on top of that praise!

Though I’m disappointed I won’t get to experience life on the traditionally published side of the street, my indie leanings will serve me well going forward. To that end, Rachel Small, editor extraordinaire, is on board and ready to go. I’m exploring book cover ideas and researching launch tactics. I don’t have a release date yet, but I expect it will be sometime this fall.

This Time Around

Happily, I’ll have Mickey in my corner. He’s the publicist I signed with at Creative Edge Publicity. He continues to keep me busy with interviews, guest VLOG appearances, magazine features, and radio shows. I still find the live events nerve-wracking, but I know it’s good for my career, and good for the books. So, I’ll keep stretching, learning, and practicing until my nerves are just a low rumble in the background. I post the events as they go live on social media, but you can check out the full listing under the Featured On page under the Media tab on my website.

On the Home Front

With the weather warming up and the soil drying out, I’ve been getting my hands dirty in the garden beds. Our crocuses and snowdrops are finished, and we’ve moved on to daffodils. The tulips are coming on strong, the clematis and other vines are growing, and the bushes are leafing out. On the ocean, the annual herring spawn has come and gone, but the sea lions, seals, eagles and seagulls are still here livening up the spring orchestra.

What I’m Reading

My latest reads are Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen series about a future world divided by the colour of their blood. Red bloods are the servants to the silver blooded elite who exhibit imaginative supernatural powers. I loved it! Gobbled up the whole series.

I’ve also read two books by other Creative Edge authors, and I’d recommend them both:

The Witching Vault by Kathrin Hutson. Sassy and fun urban fantasy about a witch who takes on an apprenticeship at a magical bank.

Beautiful, Frightening, and Silent by Jennifer Anne Gordon. This multi-award-winning book is a perfectly creepy horror about a man’s descent into madness after losing his wife and son.

What are you reading? I’m always looking for a good urban fantasy or supernatural thriller.

Speaking of good urban fantasies, Secret Sky is just $2.99. Get your copy from Kindle with one click right here. And if kindle or eBooks aren’t your preference, click on the bookstore tab for other purchase options (or just click on the covers below).