crime fiction

Lockdown life continues…

…And so does the Smashwords Authors Give Back Sale! I’ve agreed to allow Smashwords to continue selling a selection of my fantasy and crime fiction titles at a 30-100% discount until the new, extended end date of May 31st. You can check out all the details in my last post.

In the meantime, I seem to have settled into a routine in this ‘new normal’ we’re all living in. Our feline warrior princess, Xena, has quickly become used to having all her humans at home to hang out with, and is even more of a sucky girl than usual. I’ve caught up on the newest season of Midsomer Murders, and watched all of My Life is Murder (with Lucy Lawless!), as well as Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, and the Miss Fisher movie, using my free trial of Acorn TV. And of course, I’m continuing to work my way through my reading pile.

I hope you’re managing to keep yourself safe and well-occupied too! Here’s some new release news that might help…

Now Available:

Clean Break: A Kira Brightwell Short Novel

Clean Break Kira Brightwell coverKira Brightwell needs a change of scenery.

A few weeks have passed since her latest case. (Assuming you can call it a case without being officially hired or paid…)

A nice, relaxing, solo trip to Toronto to visit her grandparents seems like a good idea—no nosy reporters, no criminals to take down with her MMA skills, and (most importantly) no self-appointed sidekick Trevor Wright.

But the moment Kira steps off the plane from California, she realizes nothing has gone according to plan.

A quirky, short crime novel for both new and regular readers of the Kira Brightwell series. This adventure takes place between Split Decision and Black and Blue.

Available in: Ebook, Paperback (select retailers)

Retailer Links Buy Direct from the Author

 

Kinslayer Lasniniar Collection

Kinslayer Lasniniar Collection coverTainted magic. Deception. Betrayal.

The elves thought they had outrun all three when they started over on Lasniniar. But the new continent brings new neighbors with unknown motives of their own—along with the hidden enemy that already lurks within.

This fast-paced, epic fantasy collection contains one novel and two short stories from the World of Lasniniar series: Kinslayer, Making Waves, and Adventure Takes a Holiday. Kinslayer is the second novel in the series. All adventures in this collection take place between Light Chasers and Soul Seeker.

Available in: Ebook, Paperback (select retailers)

Retailer Links Buy Direct from the Author

 

 

NEW! Available for Pre-order (Coming May 7th):

On the Card: A Kira Brightwell Short Story

On the Card Kira Brightwell coverKira Brightwell needs a change of scenery.

Kira Brightwell never expects much on her birthday.

But this year promises an even more low-key day than usual, with a sick boyfriend, one of her few friends working a double shift, and her family too busy to celebrate until the weekend.

Curling up with an ice cream cake to binge-watch some movies seems like the best way to salvage things. (And so what if she had to buy the cake herself?)

…Until an anonymous birthday card containing an immediate threat ends up crashing the party.

A quirky, crime short story for both new and regular readers of the Kira Brightwell series. This adventure takes place between Split Decision and Black and Blue.

Available in: Ebook (Paperback will be added by the release date, in addition to more retailer links and a direct purchase option.)

Retailer Links

 

Godmaker Lasniniar Collection

Godmaker Lasniniar Collection coverThere have never been gods in Lasniniar—until now.

But most of these so-called deities are more interested in power than peace. Meanwhile, the dark creatures that roam the land are multiplying in the growing chaos…

This fast-paced, epic fantasy collection contains one novel and two short stories from the World of Lasniniar series: Godmaker, By the Light of the Moon, and Lion’s Pride. Godmaker is the sixth novel in the series. All adventures in this collection take place between Wave Runners and Void Walker.

Available in: Ebook (Paperback will be added by the release date, in addition to more retailer links and a direct purchase option.)

Retailer Links

 

 

Introducing the Direct Purchase Option

I’ve recently added all my existing titles to my Payhip store, which means you now have the option to buy ebooks directly from me. Each purchase includes both the ePub and Kindle version of the book to give you a choice of platform options. All payments are securely processed by Paypal.

As I mentioned in my last post, I will continue to price-match the Smashwords Authors Give Back Sale discounts for my titles on my Payhip store–however long it ends up getting extended.

 

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Join my newsletter group to receive sneak peeks and book release news, plus exclusive access to special offers.

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Posted by Jacquelyn in Promotions, Publishing Updates, 0 comments

Keep calm and adventure on: The Authors Give Back Sale

So this is a crazy time we’re living in…

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been cooped up in isolation and/or social distancing for about a week now (or maybe even more…), stewing in a steady churn of uncertainty, and eager to find some means of getting away from it all.

…Enter the Authors Give Back Sale:

Indie authors from all over the world have partnered with Smashwords to put together an ebook sale for readers during this troubled time, where many of us are confined to our own homes.

The sale is on now, and will run until April 20th, with discounts ranging from 30% off to free.

I’ve added the first few titles of both my Lasniniar and Kira Brightwell series to the sale, so if you’ve been thinking about checking any of them out, this is a good time. Here are the titles that are included:

The Kira Brightwell Series (Crime Fiction)

Striking Distance (Short Story): FREE

Split Decision (Novel, Book 1): 60% off

Black and Blue (Novel, Book 2): 30% off

Low Blow (Novel, Book 3): 30% off

The World of Lasniniar Series (Epic Fantasy)

Legends of Lasniniar: Possession (Short Story): FREE

Light Chasers (Novel, Book 1): 60% off

Kinslayer (Novel, Book 2): 30% off

Soul Seeker (Novel, Book 3): 30% off

Click the link for each title above to find it on Smashwords. The coupon code for each discount is automatically added to your basket.

Check out ALL titles included in the sale here.

 

Please Note:

I only have the ePub versions of my titles available on Smashwords, which work on pretty much anything except for Kindle.

If you’re a Kindle user, I’ve created a direct platform via Payhip where you can buy the Kindle version at the same discounted price, and check out using credit card or Paypal.

(And just in case you’re an ePub user and don’t want to bother with a Smashwords account, I’ve added the ePub files to this direct sales platform as well.)

Here are the links and coupon codes for direct purchase:

The Kira Brightwell Series (Crime Fiction)

Striking Distance (Short Story): FREE –> AG100DIRECT

Split Decision (Novel, Book 1): 60% off –> AG60DIRECT

Black and Blue (Novel, Book 2): 30% off –> AG30DIRECT

Low Blow (Novel, Book 3): 30% off –> AG30DIRECT

The World of Lasniniar Series (Epic Fantasy)

Legends of Lasniniar: Possession (Short Story): FREE –> AG100DIRECT

Light Chasers (Novel, Book 1): 60% off –> AG60DIRECT

Kinslayer (Novel, Book 2): 30% off –> AG30DIRECT

Soul Seeker (Novel, Book 3): 30% off –> AG30DIRECT

 

Remember to take care of yourself, and each other.

And now for some new release news…

Now Available:

Legends of Lasniniar: The Devil You Know | Click here for retailer links

Legends of Lasniniar The Devil You Know coverPaige trusts Claire—for the most part, at least.

Claire has proven herself a valuable ally several times over, and has saved the young dwarf woman’s life besides. Now they work together, ridding the human city of Belierumar of its lingering demon scourge.

But Paige can’t help but wonder…

How far is Claire willing to go to betray her own kind?

A fast-paced, fantasy adventure for both new and regular readers of the World of Lasniniar series. This short story takes place after Harbingers.

Click the link above to find this title at your preferred retailer.

Ground Work: A Kira Brightwell Short Story | Click here for retailer links

Ground Work Kira Brightwell coverRob has been Kira’s best friend for years, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been keeping secrets from her.

Now one of those secrets threatens to come out as he’s forced to take the lead on an unexpected case. (Which is a real pain in the ass, since holding down the fort and grumbling complaints from behind his laptop screen is really more his style.)

His best hope is that Kira will play along without asking too many questions.

…So, yeah. He’s definitely screwed.

A quirky, crime short story for both new and regular readers of the Kira Brightwell series. This adventure takes place between Split Decision and Black and Blue.

Click the link above to find this title at your preferred retailer.

NEW! Available for Pre-order (Coming April 9th):

Kinslayer Lasniniar Collection | Click here for retailer links

Kinslayer Lasniniar Collection coverTainted magic. Deception. Betrayal.

The elves thought they had outrun all three when they started over on Lasniniar. But the new continent brings new neighbors with unknown motives of their own—along with the hidden enemy that already lurks within.

This fast-paced, epic fantasy collection contains one novel and two short stories from the World of Lasniniar series by Writers’ Journal winning author, Jacquelyn Smith: Kinslayer, Making Waves, and Adventure Takes a Holiday. Kinslayer is the second novel in the series. All adventures in this collection take place between Light Chasers and Soul Seeker.

Click the link above to find this title at your preferred retailer. (More retailers will be added after the release date.)

Clean Break: A Kira Brightwell Short Novel | Click here for retailer links

Clean Break Kira Brightwell coverKira Brightwell needs a change of scenery.

A few weeks have passed since her latest case. (Assuming you can call it a case without being officially hired or paid…)

A nice, relaxing, solo trip to Toronto to visit her grandparents seems like a good idea—no nosy reporters, no criminals to take down with her MMA skills, and (most importantly) no self-appointed sidekick Trevor Wright.

But the moment Kira steps off the plane from California, she realizes nothing has gone according to plan.

A quirky, short crime novel for both new and regular readers of the Kira Brightwell series by Writers’ Journal winning author, Jacquelyn Smith. This adventure takes place between Split Decision and Black and Blue.

Click the link above to find this title at your preferred retailer. (More retailers will be added after the release date.)

Want to stay in touch?

Join my newsletter group to receive sneak peeks and book release news, plus exclusive access to special offers.

Your information will remain private, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Posted by Jacquelyn in Promotions, Publishing Updates, 0 comments

Switching Gears

For the past several months, I’ve been wandering around Lasniniar, having adventures and fighting battles alongside the likes of Iarion, Barlo, Felara, Nofret, Arinwyn, and Paige.

But now that I’ve finished the last Legends of Lasniniar story in this run (to be released in March—more details below), I’m switching gears to solving crimes and kicking ass with Kira.

(Actually, I’ve already written the first two Kira shorts, and I’ve had a great time so far riding shotgun with her, Rob, Trevor, and Nick. I’m alternately excited and intimidated by all the action still to come…)

These shorter adventures continue to be a great way to explore all these characters in ways that complement the series novels, and I’m looking forward to more mystery and mayhem with Kira in the coming months.

So for February and March, we have both a new Legend of Lasniniar and a Kira Brightwell short as Legends of Lasniniar winds down and Kira Brightwell starts up. All of these stories include a healthy dose of action/suspense, mixed with quirky humor.

Now Available:

Legends of Lasniniar: Prevailing Wind | Click here for retailer links

Legends of Lasniniar Prevailing Wind coverArinwyn has learned to control her powers. The People of the Dunes have even accepted her as a Wise One—despite her outsider, elven status.

For centuries, she has kept her heritage and magic a secret from the world beyond the desert. But as Lasniniar descends into darkness, both these elements could play an important role.

…If she dares to face her inner demons.

A fast-paced, fantasy adventure for both new and regular readers of the World of Lasniniar series by Writers’ Journal winning author, Jacquelyn Smith. This short story takes place toward the end of Storm Rider.

Click the link above to find this title at your preferred retailer.

Tale of the Tape: A Kira Brightwell Short Novel | Click here for retailer links

Tale of the Tape Kira Brightwell coverKira Brightwell can’t wait for high school to be over.
​​​​​​​
Years before she becomes a local hero and kick-ass problem solver for hire, the teasing and bullying seems like it’s never going to end.
​​​​​​​
…Until distraction comes in the form of a stolen car and an outrageous bet from rich jock and chief tormentor, Trevor Wright.

A quirky, short crime story for both new and regular readers of the Kira Brightwell series by Writers’ Journal winning author, Jacquelyn Smith. This adventure takes place before Split Decision.

Click the link above to find this title at your preferred retailer.

 

NEW! Available for Pre-order (Coming March 12th):

Legends of Lasniniar: The Devil You Know | Click here for retailer links

Legends of Lasniniar The Devil You Know coverPaige trusts Claire—for the most part, at least.

Claire has proven herself a valuable ally several times over, and has saved the young dwarf woman’s life besides. Now they work together, ridding the human city of Belierumar of its lingering demon scourge.

But Paige can’t help but wonder…

How far is Claire willing to go to betray her own kind?

A fast-paced, fantasy adventure for both new and regular readers of the World of Lasniniar series by Writers’ Journal winning author, Jacquelyn Smith. This short story takes place after Harbingers.

Click the link above to find this title at your preferred retailer. (More retailers will be added after the release date.)

Ground Work: A Kira Brightwell Short Story | Click here for retailer links

Ground Work Kira Brightwell coverRob has been Kira’s best friend for years, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been keeping secrets from her.

Now one of those secrets threatens to come out as he’s forced to take the lead on an unexpected case. (Which is a real pain in the ass, since holding down the fort and grumbling complaints from behind his laptop screen is really more his style.)

His best hope is that Kira will play along without asking too many questions.

…So, yeah. He’s definitely screwed.

A quirky, crime short story for both new and regular readers of the Kira Brightwell series by Writers’ Journal winning author, Jacquelyn Smith. This adventure takes place between Split Decision and Black and Blue.

Click the link above to find this title at your preferred retailer. (More retailers will be added after the release date.)

 

 
After The Devil You Know releases in March, I’ll be switching over to putting out new Lasniniar collections starting in April, at the rate of one collection per month. (Each collection will include: 1 novel + 2 Legends of Lasniniar shorts from the past year, for the novels Kinslayer, Godmaker, Void Walker, and Harbingers).

Just a heads up, if you’re missing one of those novels and are interested in getting it with extra adventures for a promotional price. 😉
 

Want to stay in touch?

Join my newsletter group to receive sneak peeks and book release news, plus exclusive access to special offers.

Your information will remain private, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Posted by Jacquelyn in Publishing Updates, 0 comments

It’s ALIVE! When Stories Take on a Life of Their Own

So this hasn’t always been the case, but over time, I have evolved into a ‘Discovery Writer’ (AKA: ‘Pantser,’ as in, ‘writing by the seat of your pants’ [as opposed to being a Planner]). I basically come up with a concept or jumping-off point, and find out where it leads (AKA: writing into the dark).

Sometimes, this method can be terrifying. (“Where the hell is this story going??”) But I have come to find it makes the writing process far more interesting (and fun!). It also means that a lot of times your stories or characters can end up taking a turn on you that you never saw coming.

I had this happen for all three of my most recent projects:

Legends of Lasniniar Goddess Almighty coverLegends of Lasniniar: Goddess Almighty

(Click here for product description and purchase links)

When I first came up with my list of ideas for what I wanted to do for each upcoming Legend of Lasnniar fantasy adventure over the six latest installments I had planned to write and publish in a row (this one is number four), I intended to write this story from an entirely opposite point of view.

But after writing Quicksilver, which details the first meeting of Iarion and Felara, I thought it would be much more interesting to get inside Felara’s head for Goddess Almighty. And since Felara is basically a sociopath, the story turned out a few shades darker than I had originally thought it would.

Tale of the Tape Kira Brightwell coverTale of the Tape: A Kira Brightwell Short Novel

(Click here for product description and pre-order links)

When I made my list of ideas for the upcoming run of Kira Brightwell crime fiction shorts I wanted to write and publish in a row (eight in total), I basically wrote ‘high school story’ in my notebook for this one. I also had a vague idea of Kira trying to find another student’s missing car, but that was pretty much it.

I thought this story was going to be pretty straightforward before I started. But as things moved along, other complications beyond the missing car came out of the woodwork, and really, the missing car was only the beginning.

Tale of the Tape evolved from a vague, short story idea into a short novel of over 25,000 words. (Crazy, right?)

It basically ended up being a much bigger story than I would have intentionally planned. And it was fun to have just Kira and Rob running around trying to solve things again, with Trevor in full douchebag form (much like in Under Wraps).

Legends of Lasniniar Prevailing Wind coverLegends of Lasniniar: Prevailing Wind

(Click here for product description and pre-order links)

After writing the tangling mystery that ended up being Tale of the Tape, I needed a change of pace. (Back when she was in high school, Kira didn’t have any MMA skills. While Tale of the Tape has quite a bit of action and suspense, there isn’t any actual fighting in it, and I was itching to kick some ass at this point.)

Prevailing Wind is a sideways story from the World of Lasniniar epic fantasy series that focuses on Arinwyn during the time of Storm Rider. (She doesn’t actually appear in Storm Rider, but this is one of her own adventures that occurs ‘off-page’ during that novel. She first appears in Legends of Lasniniar: Without Wings, which takes place during the time of Soul Seeker.)

This story is an evolution of Arinwyn’s character after we first meet her in Without Wings. Both her magic and her secret heritage are a continuing theme that she is forced to struggle with.

…And what better way to kick things off than with a badass battle against a dragon?

This one definitely ended up having more action than I originally had planned for an internal struggle story, but the fighting actually ended up informing that struggle, so it all worked out.

 

So basically all three of these stories ended up being quite a bit different than they probably would have been if I had started with a detailed plot outline in hand. Does that make them better? No way to tell, really. But it definitely made them more interesting and fun for me to write (which is what helps keep me humming along).

And I’m hoping that makes them more interesting and fun to read as well.

 

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Join my newsletter group to receive sneak peeks and book release news, plus exclusive access to special offers.

Your information will remain private, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Posted by Jacquelyn in Behind the Books, Publishing Updates, Writing Updates, 0 comments

Smashwords Halloween Sale!

Even sharkosauruses (sharkosauri?) like to dress up for Halloween…

Just a quick update to let you know about a little promotion I’m running for the month of October…

Several of my ebooks are available for 50% off on Smashwords until October 31st. These are all darker adventures (with the exception of Under Wraps, which is just a pure fun Halloween crime story).

What is Smashwords?

Smashwords is a distributor and retailer of indie ebooks. Their retail platform is available internationally, with payments completed by Paypal. They also make it possible for authors/publishers to create coupons for their books, which is awesome.

What ebook formats are supported?

At the moment, I only have the ePub version of my books available on Smashwords. (Check out this post to find out more about why.) ePub is the most widely-used ebook format, and works for Apple, Kobo, and Nook devices, as well as their associated apps.

Coupon Code: EZ59A

This is a public coupon, so it will also show up on each product page for the titles listed below. (Heads up! This site uses affiliate links.) Continue reading →

Posted by Jacquelyn in Promotions, 0 comments

Adventures in Fiction Writing: When Sh*t Gets Too Real

A girl and her sharkosaurus.

When I started writing the Kira Brightwell series four years ago (Crap, has it really been that long??), I was excited to dip my toe into a new genre after writing only fantasy. I figured something like crime fiction would be a good fit for my strengths: action and quirky/snarky dialogue. The main difference from my fantasy projects is that it would take place in the ‘real world’. No problem, right?

Wrong.

See, one of the things I find the most liberating about writing fantasy is that the entire world comes out of my own head. Locations can be wherever/whatever I want or need them to be, and I can invent magical systems and creatures as I go along. Basically, there are no limitations. (That being said, it has become a bit of a challenge over the years to keep track of my ever-expanding Lasniniar series to make sure I’m sticking to my own canon, so I don’t end up getting stuck in a Lucy Lawless/Simpsons situation, lol.)

Originally, when I started planning the first Kira novel Split Decision, I was determined to use a real-world location. I was all over Google Maps, checking out Street View to see where locations within the story were in relation to each other and what they looked like, local crime rates, checking out colleges and universities, etc. (I’m sure Google gets very confused by my sketchy search history sometimes, which has included research for multiple ways to break into a car, how to break out of handcuffs, and footage of various MMA moves and holds, among other things.)

The whole real-world location thing was really starting to stress me out and stop me in my tracks. I had this crazy fear of someone calling me out on an inaccurate detail of what might possibly be their hometown. Then Mark saved me by suggesting I create a fictional town instead (La Valentia), framed within a real-world location (California). This hardly a new idea in fiction, and it really saved my ass. Suddenly, I felt like I had enough room to breathe again with an imaginary location that could be built to fit my needs and I would know better than anyone else.

…But then there was Kira. Continue reading →

Posted by Jacquelyn in Behind the Books, 0 comments

Halloween in Lasniniar? Plus, a Kira novel that wasn’t meant to happen…

Halloween in Lasniniar

A few years ago, I took on the challenge to write a Lasniniar Christmas-themed story. You know, just because. The reason I say it was a challenge is because there isn’t any Christmas (or organized religion) in Lasniniar, but hey, what do you know? They celebrate the winter solstice. (Convenient, right?) Anyway, I had so much fun with A Solstice Tale, I ended up writing another two Solstice-themed adventures featuring Iarion and Barlo (which always seem to turn into mystery misadventures for some reason).

This year, I wanted to try something different. I love Christmas (as much as someone who has worked 15+ years in retail is capable of doing so), and there might possibly be more Solstice adventures in the future, but I wanted a new challenge.

So what about Halloween? Continue reading →

Posted by Jacquelyn in Behind the Books, Writing Updates, 2 comments

A New Start

So I’ve been pretty quiet for awhile lately… Mostly because I’ve been crazy-busy working on stuff that I didn’t want to share until it was ready to go. (You know what they say about the quiet ones, lol.) Let’s see… Where to begin? …Oh, right.

My New Website

So, yeah. This is my new website! I previously maintained two separate sites for my books: waywardscribe.com and katirwin.com. Both of these sites have been stripped down to links pointing to here, where (almost) all the content was moved.

If you’re looking for my pages on Writer Resources, those are still being maintained here on waywardscribe.com. (I still need to get on top of updating them with new info/experiences. It’s on my seemingly never-ending list of sh*t that needs to get done.)

This new site covers ALL my writing work in one place, with room to grow. My plan for blogging (which I’m usually sporadic about at best) is to aim for a casual, weekly update post to check in with what I’m working on, and any news I might have to share in any genre I’m writing. (Of course, my newsletter group will always get first dibs on new project/release info. 😉 If you’re interested in joining, click here.)

Speaking of any genre…
Continue reading →

Posted by Jacquelyn in Publishing Updates, Writing Updates, 0 comments