publishing

Jun

2025

If It’s Not One Thing…

If It’s not one thing, it’s two things. Or six. Usually, it’s six. Last week? It was a doctor appointment every morning, then heading out to the writing retreat after, going right into the Renaissance Faire on Saturday.

Which, I suppose, is my way of saying I’m tired today.

The retreat was amazing, and there are some exciting things that are coming out of it that I can’t really talk about yet. Things are written in warm Jell-O right now, but are solidifying nicely, so I’ll tell you more once I can.

For the writing part of the writing retreat, I added over 6,000 words to The Coral Throne last week. Which is a fantastic number, but that leaves me with just about 39K words to finish before I have a draft. This means that I won’t be done by next week, so I’m shifting my vacation until August, and taking July to finish this manuscript. So after next week, there will be no blogs and no newsletter until September (there won’t be a newsletter next week. I think I may have forgotten to announce that.)

Things are moving on the publishing side, and I’m hearing buzz about a late fall/early winter release on two books. I don’t have an exact date, nor would I announce one this early — things might change. But I have two books projected to come out later this year (if it’s not one thing, it’s two things!)

One of those would be Raven’s Flight. The other…. is Hidden Things.

Wait, what?

Yes, Riverdale Avenue Books have optioned the Swords of Charlemagne series! At some point later this summer, the existing books are going to vanish my store, and from all online bookstores. Because of this, I’m running a sale on existing paperbacks. If you want the existing covers, get them now. When they’re gone, they’re gone! Find the sales code below.

Back to work!

Promotions

Half Off Sale!

From now until they sell out, you can get the Swords of Charlemagne books from me directly for half off. That’s12.50 for each, or all four books for $37.50 when you use the code SWORDS.

Why? The Swords of Charlemagne have a new home with Riverdale Avenue Books! I’m waiting for my editor there to tell me when I have to take down the existing listings. Once that happens, these covers are going away.

Free Books!

You have one week left! Come find a selection of free steamy books! Click the graphic and take a look!

Now Available!

To end the war with the Empire, all Prince Tarjiaan has to do is deny his heart and marry the Emperor’s granddaughter. Peace is assured…

Or is it?

The Sea Prince sets sail on June 10th!

Now Available!

Kidnapped from his home and sold as a slave in Rome, Raven-Prince Lorcan must survive in a world where entertainment is murder, diplomacy is betrayal, and love is a commodity. And where a raven who is only supposed to ever have one mate will somehow find two…

Read it before Raven’s Flight comes out!

Image of a book cover. Cover is red-orange, with an abstract design over which there is a raven in flight. Text reads Book One in the Blood of the Raven series. Raven's Fall. Wings of Blood and Desire. By Blood Betrayed. Elizabeth Schechter

Order Now!

Work in Progress

The Coral Throne
(The Coral Throne, book 2)

61947 / 100000 (61.95%)

Appearances

3rd Annual Summer Artisan Market
June 29th, 2025
Brannon Center
New Smyrna Beach, FL

***

Smut Lovers: The Conference
September 17th – 21st, 2025
Orlando, FL

***

Necronomicon
September 26th – 28th, 2025
Tampa, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 4th, 2025
Oviedo, FL

Jun

2025

Tomorrow!

Happy Book Birthday Eve! Tomorrow is the day! The Sea Prince releases tomorrow, at long last. My earliest notes on this novel are from 2009. So technically, The Sea Prince is older than Princes of Air. The concept, anyway. It’s really kind of bizarre to think that, after so many false starts, broken plotlines, and rewrites, this novel is finally going to be published. It’s a very different book from when it started, way back in 2009. But in some places, it’s very much the same.

And tomorrow, you get to read it!

One of those things that changed is that in the original manuscript from 2009, Nika had a cat. There were plot points as to why and how the cat was important, but in the latest rewrite, I decided that the cat didn’t make any sense. So there’s no cat in The Sea Prince. However, about halfway through The Coral Throne, someone asks Tarjiaan why the Wave Runner doesn’t have a ship cat, because it’s traditional for Meradonese ships to have one (or more). They take Tarjiaan and Nika to meet their cat’s litter… and one of them bonds immediately with Nika.

(song cue!) And the cat came back! She wouldn’t stay away….

Nika isn’t the only one to come away with a cat, though. Tarjiaan is also adopted/claimed by an opinionated and unique calico cat. For the record, I already adore Tripod:

Tarjiaan heard a yowl, and looked down to see a cat at his feet. This wasn’t a kitten — from its size, it was at least a year old, with a smooth coat of many colors completely unlike the fluffy forest cats. It yowled again, then jumped, and Tarjiaan scrambled to catch the cat before the animal could set its claws into Tarjiaan’s coat and the skin underneath.

“I apologize, Captain,” Mentiras said. “This is Tripod. He was born on the Endurance, and placed with us… well, you see why.”

“I see,” Tarjiaan said. The reason for his name was clear — Tripod was missing his right front leg. “What happened to him?”

“The ship physician said it was a birth injury.” He reached out and scratched Tripod’s ears. “We’re not sure of his bloodline — the Endurance’s queen went missing when they were last in Sualiman, and she came back gravid. Tripod was runt of the litter, and no one thought he was going to survive. He doesn’t seem to have any trouble getting around, but the Endurance’s captain didn’t think that he was suitable to be a ship cat.”

Tarjiaan shifted the cat in his arms and started scratching him behind the ears. “I think Tripod disagrees,” he said. “I think he’s decided he’s not only going to be a ship’s cat, he’s going to be the captain’s cat.” He stopped scratching, and Tripod twisted and reached up with his front paw, catching Tarjiaan’s sleeve and dragging his hand back down. “Oh, I see! You’re already letting me know you’re in charge?”

Tomorrow, you get to meet Tarjiaan and Nika and Daanir, and fall into their world. I can’t wait!