Cover Reveal - Wish in One Hand (v 2)

Hey All.

My brain is pudding, so I'm not sure if I mentioned that I was having a new cover done for Wish in One Hand.  (Probably did, but pudding.)

Oh, my old cover was okay.  The artist gave me pretty-much what I asked for (kinda, sorta).  But what I had in mind didn't translate well and apparently, it wasn't blowing anyone's skirt up.  Too old-fashioned, perhaps?  Not in keeping with current-day readers expectations of what a paranormal cover should look like?  Probably.  I'm still hooked on the old fantasy covers of my youth.

Anyway, like I said, no one was getting their skirts blown up and sales are way off expectations, so I figured finding someone snazzy to do my covers couldn't hurt. Plus, I needed someone to do the rest of the series covers so they'd have some continuity. (And for price, she undercut the hell out of the other guy anyway.)  So, without further gum-flapping on my part, here's the new and improved cover of Wish in One Hand...

Sparkly!  Let's give a round of applause to my new cover artist extraordinaire: Jessica Allain.  She rocks.

The new and improved print cover is still in the works, but this one has been uploaded to Amazon.  Give it 12-24 hours and it'll show there, too.

Oh, and since I have a new cover, I changed the blurb.  

‘Be careful what you wish for’

In hindsight, Jo Mayweather should’ve taken those words seriously back in 1926. Of course, spoiled brat, flapper-girl that she was, Jo probably would’ve made the not-so-clever wish that turned her into a genie anyway.
Being endowed with phenomenal power may have its perks but, for the most part, life’s been a pain in her tiny hiney. After running into a ‘slash first, ask questions never’ genie, her problems only worsen. Some demented thing is making wishes that can’t be granted and djinn are dying. Now, instead of freeing her brethren from their bonds, Jo has a killer to neutralize.
If she’d kept her mouth shut ninety years ago, she wouldn’t be in this mess. But she’s got a job to do despite some reject from a bad B-movie trying to ruin everything she’s worked so hard for. Too bad this time doing her job might get her killed.
Or worse—enslaved again.

Here's hoping this sparkly new stuff attracts some readers. 

There Are Rules

Hi there.  Jo again.  B.E. asked me to explain the Rules to you guys, so here's the short version:

When the gods created the djinn race, they imbued us with a boatload of power.  And saddled us with Rules so we wouldn't ruin the world.  Makes sense to the us rational djinn.  The Efreet? Not so much.  Anyway, as near as I can tell, the big Rules are basically

1) No harming of the Master by direct wish.
2) No killing by direct wish.
3) No messing with time.
4) No messing with free will.
5) No unmaking the Universe.
6) No stealing another genie's sanctuary.
7) No raising the dead.

Simple stuff on a grand scale, but not nearly enough to keep wayward genies from getting into trouble, so the Council governs a set of rules that are kind of arbitrary and subjective.  Things like 'no public displays of magic' and 'don't do anything to out the djinn race to the world' are pretty good ideas.  Others, like 'don't talk about the Efreet' are pretty stupid.  But all governing bodies tend to make stupid rules here and there.

Of course, there are ways to circumvent some of the Rules and the rules.  Want to kill a human but can't wish for it? Drop a tree on them.  Stab them. Shoot them. Mundane and non-magical is hunky-dory with the gods, I guess.

Obviously, since the gods made them, you can't break the Rules outright.  Breaking the rules, on the other hand, is easy.  I'd know.  But, if they catch you, breaking their little rules comes with a steep punishment.  And who wants to wear a fur coat for centuries? Not me.

So those are the Rules.  I'm not exactly an expert, but I'm the only one who'd talk to B.E. about them, because talking about them is... you guessed it... against the rules.  Big surprise there.

If you could have one wish, what would it be?  Not that I can grant it, but you never know. What the Council doesn't know won't hurt them.  (And they're not exactly internet savvy, so I'm not too worried about them finding out here.)

If you want to read more about me and my adventures, pick up a copy of B.E.'s book Wish in One Hand.  It's on sale until Halloween night. 

Jo Talks Genies - Part Two

Sanderson here asked me an interesting question the other day. It's one I've been asked time and again over the years. 

"What's this whole 'freeing genies' thing about? I mean, why do you do it?"

First off, think about it.  A whole species of intelligent beings starts their existence out as slaves.  Who wants that shit?

Now, some have argued - the Council, for instance - that slavery is decreed by the gods and it's a way to keep being with incredible power from taking over and ruining things for the rest of the sentient life on the planet.  I figure if we're so damn incredible, we should be able to put a rein on our own damn selves.  All it takes is a little knowledge and a good moral compass.

Okay, so not everyone has that.  And lord knows, it's not like the best and the brightest of the lot get chosen somehow to become a genie.  Look at me.  I was an airhead without the common sense frogs are endowed with.  But I learned.  And the big Rules keep us from doing anything really stupid - like unmaking the universe.  What I started with the Network was a way to take the genies who might not have the knowledge or the good moral compass, and train them to be productive members of society.  So far, it's worked pretty well. 

I also admit there's a good amount of guilt behind my mission.  I got my freedom because my Master died, and then I spent it playing hedonist.  What a waste of forever.  Now I spent time trying to free other genies without someone having to die.  All it takes is a little wish and POOF they're free.  Or to use a phrase Basil likes to toss around - easy peasy.  If the Council or the Efreet or the gods don't like it, they can lump it.  (Or they can try to stop me - which is the more likely scenario.) 

If you're interested in learning more about genies, or my escapades of trying to do my job when not everyone wants me to do it, grab a copy of Wish in One Hand.  Right now, I have genies to wrangle and Efreet to chase.

Jo Talks Genies

I'm probably going to get my ass kicked for doing this, but I'm pretty sure the Council doesn't check the blogosphere, so I should be fine.

Let's begin at the beginning...

Genies, or as they prefer to be called 'djinn', are a creation of the gods -  probably as some form of entertainment.  I mean, what could be more entertaining for super-powerful beings than making a race of beings, endowing them with the ability to do pretty much anything, and then giving them a set of unbreakable Rules to live under?  Oh, and tying their hands behind their back with their power being contingent on a few syllables spoken by people who can't figure out how to program a VCR.

I don't know when the first genie crawled out of its primordial soup.  The oldest genie I know is Zeke and he isn't exactly all that interested in talking about his DOB.  Something about being around to watch Atlantis sink beneath the waves - whatever that means.

Anyway, genies.  You've probably already heard the stories, watched the movies, read the books.  Phenomenal power, tied to a lamp or a bottle (or whatever we choose for our sanctuary - mine's a cameo brooch), and leashed to a Master. We mostly become genies because of our own stupidity.  Personally, I made the mistake of wishing for unlimited wishes - which set up a chain reaction wherein I traded places with the genie granting the wish.  I had unlimited wishes I would then have to dole out three at a time to whoever held my sanctuary, and he had his freedom.  Not quite a fair trade, in my opinion, but I was young and stupid at the time.

Every rare once in a while, a genie becomes free.  We can be wished free by a Master, or we can trade places with a foolish human like that genie did to me, or we can have a Master who dies without making all his wishes - which is how I gained my emancipation.  Like I said, though, genies have a set of Rules they have to live under whether they're free or not.  And free genies still have to get their juice from someone somewhere making a wish.  Free floating wish energy - wishes made every day by every human on the planet whether they're granted or not - helps build up the stores, but nothing sparks a genie like a good old fashioned wish.  

Ahhhh.

Oh, where was I?

Yeah, genies... djinn... You've only heard about us in fiction because we'd really rather the general populous not now we really exist.  We'd be hunted like animals - either to become slaves or to be killed or to be captured and studied.  Who wants that?  We just want to be free to do our own thing.  Problem is when we're out there in the world doing our own thing and messing with the general balance of things.  And that's where the Council comes in.  As much as I hate their petty prying, they do serve a purpose - keeping mankind from knowing about us, keeping rogue genies in line, enforcing the rules.  My problem is I never know what they'll think of as a 'rule' rather than just a guideline for behavior.  You know how it goes - is the speed limit 25 through here or is it 55?  It's not like there are signs.

But that's just me.

I can't think of anything else you might want to know this morning, so if you have a question, ask it.  I'll answer to the best of my ability.  And here's a question for you:  What was something that happened to you because of something stupid you did?  How'd that work out for you?

Oh, and if you're interested in learning more about genies, snag a copy of B.E.'s book, Wish in One Hand.  If you like it, leave a review, tell your friends, etc.  If all goes well, she might let me star in another book or two or a dozen.

Character Profile: Meet Jo Mayweather

Josephine Eugenia Mayweather

born: 1904, NYC to Evangeline and Reginald "Reggie" Mayweather

Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'8
Weight: Not even if you paid her.

Year of changing:  1924
Creator: Stavros

Marital status: Widowed
Spouse: Benny
Djinn status: Freed and/or Masterless
Reason for freed status: Master expired


Current residence: basement apartment, Mayweather Antiquities, Estes Park, CO
Current employment: Antiques Dealer, owner of Mayweather Antiquities, founder of the Djinn Liberation Network

Known associates: Basil Hadresham, Mena, Mary Killigrew, Renee Turner, Ezekiel ben Aron, Iago Duarte, Michael, Stavros

Pets: Major (a dog of the Kuvasz breed)

Any questions for Jo?

Release Day!

The first in my paranormal suspense series - WISH IN ONE HAND - is now available!

Careful what you wish for. 

In hindsight, Jo Mayweather should've taken those words seriously back in her flapper-girl days. Of course, being the gal she is, she probably would’ve made the not-so-clever wish that turned her into a genie anyway. Not that throwing wishes around doesn’t have its perks, but for the most part, life's been a pain in the tiny-hiney ever since. 

Especially once she made it her mission to rescue her fellow djinn from their Masters and those three little wishes. Running into a supernatural lowlife who delights in murdering the genies she's vowed to save doesn’t help. 

And some say immortality lasts forever. What do they know? 

Now, instead of freeing djinn-kind, Jo has a killer to neutralize. If only she'd kept her mouth shut years ago, she might not be in this mess. But she's got a job to do, despite some reject from a bad B-movie trying to ruin everything she's worked so hard for. 

Even if, this time her job might get her killed. Or worse-enslaved again.

WISH IN ONE HAND - Releases Tomorrow!

Yep.  Finally.  After all these years.  Wish in One Hand (formerly known as Djinnocide, if you've been playing along) releases tomorrow.

This book.  Well, I got the idea I wanted to write an urban fantasy - you know, since those were so hot - and I tried to think of an idea that would separate me from the growing crowd of urban fantasy titles out there.  So, I looked around and realized there was a dearth of offerings about genies.  (In fact, when I started the book back in... shit, 2007?... there was zilch.)  So I made a start over the summer.  And it was... Bleh. 

Then I sat down for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month - November every year), determined to write this book if it killed me, and banged out the first draft.  Over the intervening months, I scrubbed it, polished it, gave it to beta readers, and... Well, that's neither here nor there.  Suffice it to say, it wasn't blowing anyone's skirts up.

I ended up scrapping that original draft and re-writing the whole damn book.  THEN I scrapped that draft and re-wrote the whole damn book again - in first person.  What I ended up with after all those scrappings and rewritings and editings was Djinnocide. (Genocide - Genie-cide - Djinnocide... get it?) 

And I submitted it to agents. I got a couple nibbles, but nothing worth even trying to set the hook.  I entered it in a strange submission period for a major publisher and made it to the final cut, but not past it.  I sent it off as a straight submission to another major publisher and, while I got some nice compliments, was told it wasn't right for their list. 

Okee doke.  I wasn't really all that jazzed anymore about taking this through a real publisher anyway.  Not sour grapes. Really.  By the time I got that rejection letter, I'd already begun self-publishing and I was loving it.  So, I took Wish in One Hand and started feeding it through the machine.  Cover art. Edits. Polishes.

All that new grinding commenced in May.  It's been a whirlwind three months after 8 years of slogging through oatmeal, but it's done.  Wish in One Hand will be out there in the world tomorrow.  (It's up for pre-order, so if you want it on your Kindle when you wake up tomorrow, order it now.)

I hope all of you love it as much as I do.  If you can't manage that level of excitement, I hope you all enjoy it enough that you don't want to find me and throttle that $3.99 out of my hide. 

An Interview with Jo Mayweather

Good morning, Everyone.  I decided to sit down today with Jo Mayweather - co-owner of Mayweather Antiquities.

Hello, Jo.  :passes her a large mug of coffee:  Thanks for taking a moment to chat with me this morning.

When you said you wanted to do this, I had no idea you meant this early. :guzzles coffee and magically refills her own cup: So how does this work? What do you want to know?

Is it true you're a genie?

Djinn.

What?

Sorry. Old habits die hard.  The olde guarde prefers to be called djinn.  Genie works for me.  And yes, I am one. 

So you have to grant me three wishes?

:cringes:  No.  You're not a Master, so the Rules don't apply.  If you're nice and I think you really need it, I might nudge a little somethin-somethin your way, but there's no guarantee.

You say 'rules' like they're something special.

There is.  The big R rules were crafted by the gods who created us to keep us in line and stop us from unmaking the universe.  You can't break them even if you want to.

And they are?

Stuff like 'no altering time', 'no bringing people back from the dead', 'no harming mortals'... 

But that last one isn't hard and fast, is it?

Pretty much. I mean, it's generally frowned upon, but a genie could still get around it if they had a mind to.  It's like this.  I can't use a wish to cause harm to someone.  However, I could use a wish to light a fire that might harm someone, or drop a building on them which would cause harm, or create a sudden lightning storm that might fry someone's ass, but I can't say "I wish your head would explode".

What would happen if you did?

Nothing.  The gods would laugh maybe.  I'd look like an idiot.  If I really wanted to hurt someone, I'd have to use the old-fashioned way.  By hand.  Or weapon. 

Would you?

Do I look like a bully?  Genie versus human would not be fair.  We're faster, stronger, etc. Plus nothing hurts us for long.  Super mad healing skills in the djinn world.

Good to know. But enough about that. Let's talk about Jo the person. So, what kind of music do you like?

I listen to just about everything.  It's one of the quirks of living this many years.  I roll with the musical tastes of the age.  It'd be easier to tell you what I don't like. 

Okay, so what don't you like?

Death metal.  My creator, Stavros, was into that shit before humans even conceived of it.  I wouldn't be surprised if he started the whole genre of music.  Asshole.  I also can't really listen to music from my human life. 

Hits from the 1920s? Why?

They make me homesick and a little wistful.  Who needs that?

Dog or cat?

Dog.  Cats and genies don't really get along.  I think they know we're not natural.

Favorite libation?

Libation?  What are you, a writer or something?  I drink gin.  It's a throwback to my humanity, but a gal's gotta stick to what she likes.  I also drink coffee. Lots of it. :a large coffee maker appears beside us:  Want some?  It's hazelnut.

Don't mind if I do.  Quick question.  Do you wish for everything or is this just a coffee thing?

I try to work for what I have.  But when the need arises, I'm not above using a little power.  This? :she waves toward the machine:  I'll unmake it when we're through.  I already have one of my own and wishing isn't about how many goodies I can clutter my home up with.

Then what do you think wishing is about?

I'm not quite sure.  All I know is the gods put us here - probably for their own amusement - and we should do more with our immortality than simply fritter it away.  Put in a little effort.  Enrich our minds rather than just our bank accounts.

So you're against wishing for money?

Totally.  Besides, the Council would have a genie's ass if they caught him.  Nothing alerts humanity to our existence faster than things that shouldn't be there suddenly appearing.  Money is one of those things that gets tracked by the human world.  And when humans start sniffing around, the djinn-world gets pissy.

Can't you just wish up some gold?

And upset the world's financial balance?  Yeah, that's a good idea.  Right.

Favorite food?

Wow, talk about a topic shift.  Waffles. I love waffles.

Yeah, I spend a lot of time at Short Attention Span Theater.  Sorry about that.  I just have questions I'd like you to answer, but I keep getting distracted.

No problem. What's next on the list?

Favorite book?

All of them.  Nearly unlimited lifespan equals a lot of reading time.  I remember once, in the 1960s, I spent a month reading 24/7.

Hey, listen, this has been fun and all, but I have to scoot.  I have a stack of papyrus I need to sort through, Major needs a walk, Basil and I have a meeting at ten that I'm not prepared for... something about a new masterless djinn with an attitude problem...

Life as a genie isn't one of leisure, I take it.

Not hardly.  I have a business to run and genies to rescue.  

Well, thanks for joining me today.  I hope you'll come back soon and chat some more.  Oh, she's already gone.  

Do you have any questions for Jo?  I'm sure I'll get her to stop in and answer them at some point.

And if you'd like to know more about Josephine Mayweather, her business, her mission, and her stories,  Wish in One Hand is available for pre-order and launches on the 18th.

Cover Reveal - Wish in One Hand

Okay, so I did this informal FB poll yesterday of whether I should release the cover of Wish in One Hand out to the world online now or wait, and give my newsletter readers a first taste before the rest of the world sees it.  After high-level, closed-door consultation with my top advisers, I have decided to release the ebook cover online today, and then show the print cover and a snippet of the book to my newsletter subscribers on the 1st.  Plus, the newsletter subscribers will get a chance at an exclusive contest. 

So without further ado...

Careful what you wish for.

 Wish in One Hand is the first in a paranormal series* I haven't named yet.  If you've been following along over the past however-many years, this book was previously called Djinnocide.

And here's what the book's about:

Careful what you wish for.

In hindsight, Jo Mayweather should've taken those words seriously back in her flapper-girl days.  Of course, being the gal she is, she probably would’ve made the not-so-clever wish that turned her into a genie anyway. Not that throwing wishes around doesn’t have its perks, but for the most part, life's been a pain in the tiny-hiney ever since.  

Especially since she made it her mission to rescue her fellow djinn from their Masters and those three little wishes. Running into a supernatural lowlife who delights in murdering the genies she's vowed to save doesn’t help.  

And some say immortality lasts forever.  What do they know?

Now, instead of freeing djinn-kind, Jo has a killer to neutralize.  If only she'd kept her mouth shut years ago, she might not be in this mess.  But she's got a job to do, despite some reject from a bad B-movie trying to ruin everything she's worked so hard for.

Even if this time her job might get her killed.  Or worse-enslaved again.

I expect a release date somewhere in mid-August.  Should be doable as long as the final editing phases don't take too awfully long. 

I'm so totally excited.

Oh, and if you're not a newsletter subscribers, no probs - it's easy-peasy.  Just got back to the tab line above this post and click on where it says "NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP FORM".  Fill out the deets and submit.  Then reply to the email where it asks if you really did sign up.  (If you don't see the email, check your spam folder.  If you don't reply to the email, you don't get the newsletter.)

*Books 2 and 3 are written, but unedited.  I expect to release them both next year - probably spring and fall of 2016.

News Updates

A couple of news updates...

First, Dying Embers is still at 99 cents - but only until Sunday night/Monday morning.  Then the price will go up to $2.99.  Now's your opportunity to get $2 off. 

Second, the paperback copies of Accidental Death are here.  They look lovely.  A Goodreads contest should start Monday - I'm just waiting for approval from the Goodreads people. 

Third, if you've read Accidental Death, I would love it if you would post a review.  I have one at Amazon UK and Goodreads, but regular Amazon is kinda lonely.

Fourth, the ad at Ereader News Today did its job and got Dying Embers into the bestseller rankings in my category (Kindle/Mystery, Thriller, Suspense/Crime/Serial Killers) which seems to be getting me some nice residual sales.  At the height, I hit #9 on the above list.  As of the ad going live, I've sold 219 copies that I know of.  (Some expanded sales outlets don't report for up to 60 days.)  The majority of that was on the day of the ad, and I assume the sales since have been residual from the ad and from hitting the rankings. 

Fifth, I heard from the cover artist for Wish in One Hand.  I should see a mock up of the cover concept soon.  Then we'll go back and forth a bit if things need tweaking.  I can't wait to see what he's done.

Got any news or updates to pass along?