Let’s clear some other things out of the way first. I have some really exciting news! We’ve sold Polish rights to the Megan Chase series to Amber Publishing, the same company putting out the Polish Downside books! Foreign translations are just the coolest thing, so I’m really thrilled about this!

And speaking of the Downside books, we have a couple of new UNHOLY MAGIC reviews!

Vampire Book Club gives it five stars and says:

With increased intensity, Kane delivers an action-packed, dark urban fantasy novel that will leave you reeling for days after finishing it. (We actually pre-ordered the third novel, City of Ghosts, the day after completion of Unholy Magic because we don’t want to waste even a day not knowing what will happen with Chess, her job, the love-triangle and the others within Downside.)

Smokin’ Hot Books also gives it five stars (to both books in one review, actually):

Unholy Ghosts and Unholy Magic are two of the best books I’ve read of 2010 and 2009. I’m not going to lie, the second book will tear your heart out, you may even find yourself emotionally ‘stress eating’ but so worth it. I promise! This series has grit, angst, violence, and pulls you in with each page – if you haven’t read this series, get thee to a bookstore post haste!

Vampire Book Club also has an interview with me, and a giveaway contest for both UNHOLY GHOSTS and UNHOLY MAGIC. So if you haven’t yet read them, there’s your chance!

There’s another interview with me, conducted by Daniela, a very sweet German blogger I chanced upon one day (she was blogging about GEISTERFLUT, the German edition of UNHOLY GHOSTS which will be released in Feb 2011, and I said hello, and it went on from there). Anyway, she asked me some kind of neat questions, and you can find it here. The interview is first in English, then in German; hee, look at my perfect German! And don’t you love that German cover? I can’t wait to see what they do with the other two! Obviously, the bangs aren’t there, ha, but who cares when it’s that pretty and atmospheric?

Anyway. I have a TON of website updates we’re going to be doing in the next week or so, including five or six deleted scenes from UNHOLY MAGIC. (I would post some for UNHOLY GHOSTS but I don’t actually have any!) So keep a lookout for all of that; of course I will let everyone know when they’re up. I’m also putting the Strumpet series up on Kindle, so as soon as I have a link I’ll put that up as well (and yes, it will still be free on the blog; it will ALWAYS be free on the blog).

With those updates I also want to update my FAQ a bit, so if any of you have any questions for it, please don’t hesitate to ask! Leave them in comments, or email them to me through the contact form on the site. If you have questions, I want to answer them, so don’t be shy.

Also, I’m considering getting myself a netbook. I’d like something smaller for travel, something lighter. Well, I say “considering,” but I totally want one, and as soon as my next check arrives I’m going to get myself one (we can’t afford it until then). I want this one. Anyone have any thoughts? I know for big computers Gateway isn’t the greatest, but they are owned by Acer and I’ve heard their netbooks are actually very good. Plus, it’s pretty! It’s red, look! SHINY.

Okay, two more things. First, although you website blog readers may not be familiar with him, those of you who follow my livejournal will know David Bridger. David’s been a reader of the blog for a couple of years now and has become a pal as well; he’s a lovely man.

And…that lovely man has written a novel, which is being published today by Liquid Silver Books! Again, longtime readers will know how much I really like the people at LSB and what a great house I think they are, so this is extra exciting. I’m so happy for David, and I know those of you who’ve had any interaction with him will be too. (And for those who don’t, he’s going to be doing a guest blog post for me next week as well).

BEAUTY AND THE BASTARD by David Bridger releases today from Liquid Silver Books!

Saul the Bastard is a fallen angel who works as a bounty hunter for powerful urban demon families. Rebecca Drake, a modern day demon princess, is being hunted by dangerous desert demons. When Rebecca’s family hires Saul to protect her, they are both unhappy with the arrangement, but before long sparks fly as they try to resist their strong mutual attraction. For the first time in living memory, Saul has someone to love; someone he is scared of losing; someone the desert demons have marked to be their next sacrifice.

Okay, okay. I guess I’ve rambled on enough now and can get down to the contest. Here’s what I’m going to do. To celebrate the release of CITY OF GHOSTS, and really the release of the entire series so far, I’m going to do a Name A Character Contest for the fourth Downside book!

It could be your name; it could be a made-up name*. Whatever you like! And you’ll also get an acknowledgment in that fourth Downside book, with full credit for the name you picked (or your own name).

How does that sound? Fun? Want more stuff? Okay. I’ll also give away a FULL SET OF DOWNSIDE AUDIOBOOKS from Blackstone Audio, in their pretty shiny padded cases and everything (they’re on CDs), and they ARE Unabridged.

And if enough people enter, I might add a set of signed books too.

THIS CONTEST IS OPEN WORLDWIDE. YES, SERIOUSLY, WORLDWIDE. Australia/NZ too, yes.

*A couple of things to remember before entering: I don’t know what character I will use your name for. It could be a wonderful person, a fellow Church employee, a new friend; it could be a junkie, a whore, a gruesome murder victim, an evil rampaging ghost, or a drug dealer or thief or scumbag of any type. This is a Downside book, remember. Do not expect that your name will be used for someone cool. BUT, if I do use it for any of the aforementioned unsavory types, I promise your note in the Acknowledgment will emphasize that you personally are a fine, upstanding citizen and all of that. Okay? Seriously. By entering this contest you agree that you understand your name may be used in any way and agree not to hold me responsible if you don’t like the way it’s used. I’ll certainly try my best to make you happy, but I have a funny feeling that quite a few of you out there would want me to write a special new sex scene involving you and Terrible, and I just can’t guarantee that would be possible, sorry. (Heh heh heh.)

Anyway. So we’re all clear? Excellent. Here’s how you enter; there’s a bunch of ways to do it, and you’re free to do as few or as many as you wish:

1. Have you pre-ordered CITY OF GHOSTS? Forward your receipt to DownsideArmy AT gmail DOT com. You get TWO entries for that!

2. You get ONE entry every time you tweet about the book, using the #cityofghosts hashtag HarperVoyager invented last week. Say anything you like (um, as long as it’s positive; I guess you could enter with “#cityofghosts fucking sucks,” but if you hate the books why would you want to enter to begin with?) but please do use the hashtag. You can tweet about the contest; you can tweet about how much you can’t wait for the book or how excited you are or anything you want, really. And yes, each tweet is one entry. And pass the word about the contest, as well!

3. Have you blogged about the books? Each blog post is TWO entries. Send the links to DownsideArmy AT gmail DOT com.

…and that’s it. Three ways to enter, but you may enter as many times as you wish. No purchase is necessary to enter, but if you have pre-ordered the book you get extra entries (and really, why haven’t you pre-ordered the book? Pre-orders are good! You can do it at the bookstore too, and they’ll hold your copy aside for you on the day of release, even!)

So, to sum up:

Polish Demons books!

Great reviews!

Interviews with me, and contest!

Web updates/deleted scenes coming!

Questions for FAQ?

Shiny red netbooks?

David Bridger wrote a book!

Tweet and blog & pre-order CITY OF GHOSTS to name a character in Book 4!

Oh, and I forgot to mention! ALL entries must be in by midnight on Friday, July 30th. I will announce the winners the following Friday.

No. It was the real Times, in London, the real national newspaper TIMES. They had a pullout section for summer reading, and UNHOLY GHOSTS was one of the six books their reviewer chose as their Summer Fantasy Picks!

So as you can imagine, I’m pretty excited about that.

Second, we have a couple of reviews for UNHOLY MAGIC, which, yes, will be released tomorrow*. From Abigail at ALL THINGS URBAN FANTASY:

Like any drug, the first taste gets your attention but its the second taste that gets you hooked. I though the first Downside Ghosts book, Unholy Ghosts, was an impressive debut, but UNHOLY MAGIC is even better. I am well and truly addicted to this dark, seductive urban fantasy series.

From Wicked Lil Pixie, FIVE stars:

Unholy Magic is book two in the Downside Ghosts series & without a doubt my favorite new series of 2010…I tried real hard to read Unholy Magic slowly, because the wait for City of Ghosts may be too much for me. I think I’m already going into withdrawals. Stacia Kane does not disappoint & crafts one of the most original new series of [the year].

*I’ve heard quite a few reports that the book is already on shelves, and have heard from quite a few readers who have already bought & finished the book. So it’s worth checking at your local bookstore today, if you don’t want to wait. As I’ve said in the past, I don’t care when you buy it as long as you do!

Also, yes, I will be excerpting the first three chapters of CITY OF GHOSTS, which will be out July 27 in the US (I believe the UK/AU release date is August 5[?]) here on the site, and will probably post those chapters next week, along with various excerpts here on the blog throughout the next few weeks.

And of course, since we have a release coming, we have an excerpt today. This is from Chapter Fifteen, as Chess investigates her latest Debunking case at the home of Roger Pyle, a television actor, and his wife Kym (I’ve truncated this excerpt a bit; the sequence is longer in the actual book):

Two hours later Chess sat once again in the orange-and-ivory living room, before a cheerful fire, and checked her notes. After she’d had a few quick words with the Pyles she could leave, and not a moment too soon. She wasn’t itching yet, but it would take almost an hour to get home and she wanted to leave herself some room.

Two other guards had seen ghosts. All of the descriptions were similar, and matched what she’d witnessed herself. The smell—it still seemed to cling to her nose when she thought of it—the man in the loose shirt, another man, the woman she’d seen in the bathroom mirror.

A murderer and two victims. Only one man—she guessed it was the son—was still unaccounted for, unless he was the figure Roger had seen in the guest bedroom.

Then there was Oliver Fletcher. Interesting. Obviously a friend of Roger’s and an admirer of his talent. Just as obviously contemptuous of him and his family, no matter how many sex parties he attended at their house. She wondered if he’d flown in specifically for this one, or if he had some other reason to be there. He and Roger worked together on the tv show. Was he producing the film as well?

She’d ask Roger. Who was just walking into the room. Shit, she was going to have to come back with her Hand, put them all to sleep, and get into his office. Especially since another significant episode had occurred there.

This week was never going to end. Dead hookers at home, a cavernous house full of miserable people here, and not an answer in sight.

It could have been worse, yes. She knew that from experience. But the thought didn’t seem to help her the way it usually did.

“How are things going?” Roger asked. “Is everyone being helpful? They’re giving you everything you need?”

She nodded. “Everyone’s been great.”

He visibly relaxed. “Excellent. Excellent. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”

“Actually, I was wondering something. Most of the staff members who’ve witnessed the entities report a particular smell. But you didn’t mention it when you told me your experiences. Was there an odor that you recall?”

Roger’s forehead creased. “Not…no, I don’t think so. I know I felt a little odd, but I assumed that was just because I’d drunk too much coffee. You know, caffeine makes me jumpy sometimes, a little fuzzy. But I didn’t notice a scent or anything.”

“Was that every time, or just that first time? The night of the attack in your bedroom, for example. You hadn’t been drinking coffee then.”

“No, no I guess I hadn’t. I don’t… I’m sorry, Miss Putnam, it was just so terrifying, I don’t remember if I smelled anything or not. I was so focused on Kym and her injuries.”

She nodded, smiled to let him know she understood. “Of course.”

“Have you read the articles? About the murders, I mean.” Roger shuddered. “I just don’t understand how someone could do something like that. And to think it happened here, on this land. Awful. No wonder they’ve come back.”

“Well, it isn’t always a matter of—”

“Do you think if we discovered who killed them they would go away? I wondered about that. Like in old books, you know, where they can let go of the trauma because the truth is known. Does that happen?”

She couldn’t help but smile. He looked so hopeful. “I’m afraid not, Mr. Pyle. It’s been tried, but we’ve discovered it really makes no difference. Even if we discover the truth, the dead don’t feel that knowledge. It just doesn’t affect them or get through to them, so they can’t move on. The ones who are trapped by it, I mean.”

And that was conversation number three on that subject. Surely that wasn’t a coincidence? What was she trying to tell herself there, what was she missing?

She changed the subject. “I met Oliver Fletcher. In the security office.”

“Oliver? That’s great. He’s an interesting man, Oliver. Helped me…well, I guess he’s been the best friend I ever had, really. I owe my whole career to him.”

“Now, darling, don’t be so modest. You got where you are by hard work.” Kym Pyle knew how to make an entrance, Chess had to give her that. Today she wore a snug black sweater with a deep v-neck and a pair of red cigarette pants, and her blonde hair was swept up into a smooth knot on the back of her neck.

She ran crimson fingernails through Roger’s hair, giving him a smile much warmer than anything Chess would have expected to see. Perhaps she’d worked off all her tension at the party.

Or perhaps the Pyles had decided it would be less suspicious if Kym didn’t act quite so much like a dominatrix who’d had a bad day.

Kym turned to her, the smile fading. “Miss Putnam. I thought you’d left over an hour ago, didn’t anyone tell you?”

“Tell me?”

“The snow. Haven’t you seen? It’s an absolute storm out there. I thought one of the staff had let you know—”

Chess leapt from her seat, Kym’s voice fading to a drone in the background. Thick orange curtains covered the broad windows; Chess yanked them apart and gasped. It wasn’t just snow. It was a blizzard, huge fat flakes obscuring everything.

Oh fuck. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck—

“I should go.” She snatched up her bag and yanked the zipper open. “I’m sorry, but I—”

“You can’t go,” Kym said. “It’s terrible out there. The roads—”

“But if I don’t try now who knows when I’ll be able to get out of here, right?” Keys, where were her keys? The security room, on the hook. She’d relinquished them when they parked her car.

“But I don’t think you’ll be able to get out of here now.” Kym settled into a chair. “Arden says it’s been snowing for over an hour. I’m so sorry. I was napping, and I guess with the curtains closed…I can’t believe no one warned you. Roger, I’m going to have another talk with the security staff, they’re not being very attentive. What do we pay them for?”

“No, I’m, I’m sure it will be fine, I mean, I’ve driven in snow before, so—”

“They don’t salt the roads out here,” Roger said. “The plows will be along eventually, but not until after it stops.”

“I’m sorry.” Chess slung her bag over her shoulder, blinking back tears. Oh shit oh fuck how had she let this happen? “I really need to at least try, I can’t impose—”

“It’s no imposition, don’t be silly. You must stay here, Miss Putnam. Have dinner with us, stay the night. We have plenty of room. It’s so miserable out there, you can’t drive in that.”

“I’m just going to have a look,” she managed, before escaping from the room and throwing herself down the long bright walkway.

It was impossible. Snow fell fast and thick, clinging to her eyelashes, coating her clothing. At least three or four inches of it already covered the ground; she couldn’t make out the wall at the edge of the property. Everything was white. No landmarks, nothing.

Nothing to look at. Nothing in her pillbox. Her hands shook as she raised them to her face, jammed her fist against her mouth.

How long did she have? Two hours, three maybe, before it started, and another couple of hours before it got really bad? There were a few hard candies in her bag, the sugar would help for a little while, but…a whole night?

Her eyes stung and she swiped at them, trying to will her heart to slow down. It was okay. It would be okay. The snow would stop in a few hours. It could stop any minute, right? And it was early evening. People would be commuting, the plows would come through, she could get out.

Surely the Pyles had a small plow or something, living out here. Maybe one of the security guys—maybe Merritt—would help her get out. If she could just hold on for a little while, an hour, two… She’d be okay. She’d planned on staying until six or so anyway, right?

Right. So she would be fine. All she had to do was wait it out, just hang out for a little longer, and she could go home and get her pills.

Just a little longer.

Today is the official release day for UNHOLY GHOSTS in the US, and I guess it’s being released in the UK/Ireland/Australia/New Zealand as well? Yes, it seems that way. And I’m frankly terrified. Excited and elated and terrified.

We had a couple of new reviews come in, and they’re good ones. Not just, or not necessarily, because they’re positive, although they largely are, but because they’re thoughtful. Because they read the book and really considered it, and really put that consideration into the reviews, and really?

It’s not my place as an author to ask reviewers or readers for shit. It’s not my place to tell them how they should think or feel about my work, or how they should express those feelings. But I won’t deny that it pleases me immensely and makes me feel good when they do put that consideration and thought into their reviews. It’s gratifying, and I appreciate it, and if I could ask for something, that would be what I would ask for.

So first we have Michele Lee’s Book Love:

Unholy Ghosts is a thrilling ride, textured and vivid, a powerhouse of fantasy. Brimming with characters that aren’t quite heroes but aren’t quite bad guys either, it shows the hard core, broke down parts of the world other stories skip over, the dark side of reality that comes not from magic, but from the poor, desperate and disillusioned trying to make it through a hard life.

Seriously? I got a little teary when I saw this one. It was so close to how I think of the books; Michele understood so clearly what I was trying to do and express. It’s absolutely amazing to feel understood like that, and like you’ve truly connected with someone through your work.

Another reviewer who I think truly understood what I was trying to do, even if her understanding came more about the larger concept than the characters themselves, is KMont at Lurve ala Mode. She featured the book in her “Books With Balls” segment (which, how fucking cool is that?!) and rated it 5 balls, out of a possible 5. That’s ballsy, y’all, which is (to me at least) a huge compliment:

Why is this book ballsy?

1. Quite frankly, its because the heroine is a unrepentant drug addict. Because of this aspect, and how it’s portrayed, the author takes a big risk and really puts herself out there. I think this alone, whether or not one likes how it all plays out, is pretty darn cool.

and

Unholy Ghosts is to be commended for the risks it takes, while at the same time deserving of being held in check for them. I honestly think some will be turned off while others will eagerly embrace a book that does take risks like this. As for me, I honestly struggled with how to rate it. On one hand, I’m glad to have read it and experienced a truly unique urban fantasy.

I strongly recommend you read the entire review. While I don’t necessarily agree with some of KMont’s opinions/conclusions (like that Chess’s only motivation for defeating the bad guy was her own self-interest, and not to protect the rest of humanity and the Church) and while there is one small factual error (Chess’s pills–Cepts–are opiates, not speed) that’s nitpicking on my part, frankly. What matters to me is that KMont understood what I was trying to do–create something unique, create a world of moral ambiguity and in doing so explore just where our boundaries are and whether our concepts of good and bad are fluid, and explore just what the limits of the genre truly are–and seemed to really connect with that attempt, although there were things about the book that didn’t thrill her and she does make an excellent point about the climax of the novel.

Last is Shuzluva’s review at Dear Author. Shuzluva is not a fan of horror or horrific elements and felt much more strongly about Chess’s addiction; it was a major problem for her before picking up the book, and she was unable to really get past that in the reading. However, she did say this:

The pacing of the book is excellent, and definitely gave me some of those “put-the-book-down-before-my-heart-explodes” moments. The characters are vivid and even the secondary characters get fabulous treatment. I can’t say enough about the wonderful worldbuilding. Triumph City and The Church of the Real Truth are tangible and downright scary, gritty and dark.

(The discussion in comments is quite interesting, as well.)

So what is my point, and what am I thinking of today?

I’m thinking of how, as every reviewer above touched upon whether they elaborated on it or not, it is apparently pretty obvious to readers with intelligence that this is a deeply personal book, and that it is a challenging one, and that is amazing to me. Would I rather they’d all said, as others have, “This is challenging in some ways and also fucking kicks ass” instead of just two of them? Of course. Am I nervous as hell that people will see all of this and think the book is too deep or something and skip it in favor of something they think will be more fun? Of course.

Because it is a fun book, guys, at least I think so, and a lot of reviewers have thought so. Yes, I wanted to play with the boundaries of the genre. Yes I wanted to challenge myself and the reader. Yes I wanted to ask some questions and make people think.

But what I mostly wanted to do is what I always want to do, which is entertain the hell out of you people. I wanted to show you a good time. It’s what I always want to do.

I also didn’t want to preach to you. I’m frankly surprised at how many people either would expect the first book in a series to have a full and complete character arc away from addiction; what the hell is fun about that story, again? Does that seem like an exciting urban fantasy plot to you, especially for a first book?

And while I expected some people to be turned off, I didn’t expect the Puritanical vitriol* I’ve gotten from a small minority who seem to think addiction, or writing about addiction, is a moral crime on a par with baby murdering, and that to even buy a book with an addict character is akin to standing in the corner and cheering while that baby is murdered. I guess fiction is not after all a place to explore different lives and situations; buying a novel is a political and moral act, and buying a book about an addict is a moral wrong. Ohh-kay. Perhaps it would be better if we just shot our addicts? Especially the functional ones? Maybe from there we’ll move to people who take antidepressants; after all, that’s a daily pill to make you feel better, and if you stop taking it you’ll go through very uncomfortable withdrawals, and it does have (IMO) more dangerous side affects than most opiates…

I guess also that addicts are not people like you and me who got caught up in something too big for them, but are in fact the human equivalent of slime found at the bottom of a pond. Apparently it’s okay for a heroine in an urban fantasy to kill people, to beat them, to make stupid decisions that lead to the deaths of others–sometimes even her own children–but for her to pop a few pills every day…now THAT is wrong and evil.

Anyway, while those who are obviously our superiors in every way and have never made a mistake sniffle and judge, let’s you and me keep talking.

Fiction isn’t about being safe, at least good fiction isn’t. Not as far as I’m concerned. It’s about telling the truth. It’s about showing other people the world as you see it. It’s about exposing yourself.

You know the saying “Writing is easy. You just sit down at the typewriter and open a vein?”

I always thought that was about how hard it can be to get the words to come, and how long it can take.

I was wrong. It’s about how much we expose of ourselves when we write. It’s about how fiction–truly good fiction that touches people, not that I’m claiming to be Little Miss Excellent or anything like that, I just know how proud I am of these books and the response they’re getting–can’t be accomplished if you’re afraid, if you’re hiding yourself or aspects of yourself or especially your characters from your readers. You cannot lie to them and still have a truly worthwhile book. You just can’t. It simply isn’t possible. You can’t be afraid. You can’t refuse to share things with them. You can’t hold back.

Sure, people may not like it, and they may not like you. You may put your heart on a plate and hand it to a reader and have them turn up their nose and walk away, or spit at it. It happens. That’s life, and that’s writing, and that’s the way it goes.

Remember last month, when I went to Eight of Swords tattoos to get a new tattoo? Here it is:

(I took the picture myself, and it’s on my right bicep running upward, so it’s a little crooked in the photo, sorry.)

And that’s my vow to myself, and my promise to myself, and the words I try to live by.

So what am I feeling today, when my book is released? I’m nervous, and excited, and proud. And I want you to buy it, and love it, and be entertained by it. And I want you to close it feeling like you’ve experienced something unique and you haven’t wasted your money and you’ve just read an awesome story. I don’t need you to analyze it or be all intellectual about it, I just want you to enjoy it. I want you to be excited for the next book on July 6th. And I really, really hope you are.

And that’s it, really. But I also want you to know how very much I appreciate every one of you, those who comment and those who don’t. I hope I don’t let you down.

Tomorrow we’ll be back to having fun, okay?

* It has come to my attention that the comments in this paragraph have been misconstrued to mean that I believe anyone who has a problem with a drug addict heroine, or who expresses discomfort in the idea, or doesn’t like it, is being evil and Puritanical and whatever. I sincerely apologize to anyone who might have thought this was the case. I thought my comments in the past, and my other comments in this post, would make it clear that I do not think or feel that way at all. In fact, because of my comments in the past it honestly never even occurred to me that anyone would take my post that way.

I certainly do not see a negative review as “vitriol.” I guess I can see how some people–who are accustomed to authors freaking out and attacking over a less-than-glowing review–would feel that I might, and therefore would classify my comments that way. I wasn’t thinking of that when I wrote this post and I absolutely should have been, so I apologize genuinely to anyone who might have felt I was referring to them or their feelings. Quite frankly, in all of the stress and anxiety of a release day I simply wasn’t thinking the way I normally would.

You are entitled–as I have said before here and elsewhere numerous times–to dislike my characters or my books. You are entitled to be uncomfortable with the very idea. You’re entitled to express that feeling (although I would prefer that you not aim that expression at readers who want to read a book, and tell them they’re supporting drug abuse by purchasing a book. They don’t deserve that). As I said in my response to Shuzluva’s review yesterday, I’d be a moron if I didn’t expect that some people would have an issue with that.

None of those feelings are vitriolic. Nor is expressing them tantamount to vitriol.

What I mean when I say “vitriol” are the comments I’ve seen aimed at reader, implying they are morally bankrupt for wanting to read, for reading, or enjoying a certain book. What I mean when I say “vitriol” are the three emails I have received in the last week calling me names and telling me I am evil for encouraging drug use. These did not come from one person alone, although it is possible it was one person with more than one email address and IP.

Yes, I have reported them to their email service, and no, I don’t want to discuss it further, and no, I am not particularly frightened or freaked out (they weren’t threatening, just, well, vitriolic) so if you are someone who would normally be inclined to worry please don’t. I had this happen to me once before–long-time readers may remember the short period of time where comments on my old blog went screened–and this is simply something that happens to people online.

But I did get one this morning, and it made me angry, and that small section of my post was in response to that.

Obviously, I need to get used to, or realize, that I may start getting new visitors here who aren’t familiar with my previous comments on issues like these and the very strong stance I have always taken in support of readers and their right to their opinions about books and the expression of those opinions (and yes, I suppose decrying the “You’re evil” comments may be seen as telling them they can’t share an opinion, but there’s a difference between “this book sucks” and “hey, you, reader, you personally suck, so burn in hell.” Attack the books if you want. Please don’t attack the readers; they are people with feelings, and have just as much right to choose books they enjoy as you do).

That I did not think of that is wrong. That I may have unwittingly or inadvertently hurt someone who took the time to read and review my book is unforgivable, and believe me when I say I feel absolutely sick about it. I am so, so sorry.

Which is another point, too: my warning about the content of the Downside books re drug use. My warning was largely intended for readers of the Demons books, who may have been expecting the new series to be more of the same. The Demons books have sold very well, and I get in general a few emails about them each month.

My desire to make sure fans of that series knew the differences between the two series, and did not buy something they wouldn’t be happy or comfortable with simply because it had my name on it was just that. I was attempting to not violate the trust my current readers, who often visit here and mention the blog in their emails, have or had in me.

The two series are very different, that’s all. I wasn’t attempting to control anyone or tell readers what to do or think. I simply didn’t want them to pick up a book by an author whose work has to that point been light-hearted and amusing and discover that it was something else entirely, something which might upset them. I wanted them to know that in this instance my name may not mean what they think it means. That’s all. Again, I apologize if that was the wrong thing to do, but it felt like the right thing; it felt like taking care of my readers and making them aware of something they might not have realized. It felt like not misleading them by claiming the books are something they aren’t.

That was the spirit in which it was meant, anyway.

I guess I’ve just fucked up all around, and I don’t really know what I can say or do about that.

2. I am guest blogging today over at Marta Acosta’s Vampire Wire, about how I created Chess Putnam and giving a little more insight into what kind of character she is and yes, into her addiction. Come read it and comment! One lucky commenter wins a copy of UNHOLY GHOSTS! (But you’re still going to go buy it, right?)

I actually find I’m discussing the drug use in the book quite a bit these days, and there’s a reason for that, same as the reason why I uploaded the first five chapters of the book here.

Yes, of course I want you to read it and decide you can’t wait to read more, and rush to buy the book on Tuesday or pre-order it now, which you are of course perfectly welcome to do. But I also want to make it clear exactly what the book is, and what you’ll find inside. I don’t want there to be any surprises. The back cover copy tells you very clearly that the book is about a drug addict. That is true. She is. Drugs are used in the book(s), quite a bit. If that’s a problem for you don’t buy the book, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. I don’t want you to buy a book you’re not going to like, or that will upset you or make you uncomfortable! I want you to be happy with it, and enjoy it. So please do be aware. The back cover copy isn’t lying to you. It’s there to tell you what you’ll find inside the book. You should pay attention to it, and that goes for all books, really.

One more thing. Remember how I was going to do a little thank-you giveaway, where if you buy UG I’ll send you the first three chapters of UNHOLY MAGIC? Yeah, I figured what the heck. Why go through all that trouble, for both you and me? Instead I’m just going to go ahead and load those first three chapters onto the site, probably next Friday or Saturday. If you are absolutely dying to get the chapters earlier, go ahead and email me anyway, with your overflowing heartwarming praise for UNHOLY GHOSTS, and I’ll send you the chapters. But it’s not necessary. I want to give you guys a sneak peek, so that’s what I’m going to do.

So come hang out with me at Marta’s!

Oh, and tomorrow I’ll be doing an interview at Wicked Lil Pixie’s blog, so make sure you come by and say hello, because I’m giving away a book there too!

“Chess is an intriguing character, a powerful Church witch with magic tattoos, but also a serious drug problem… She’s not your usual heroic protagonist, and this isn’t one of your humorous urban fantasies, but rather a lively thriller, full of action and ghostly encounters.”

Next, thanks to everyone who downloaded the 5-chapter sample of UNHOLY GHOSTS, and emailed me or contacted me on Facebook or Twitter to let me know how much you enjoyed it! For those of you who haven’t yet read it, why not? UNHOLY GHOSTS sample (The link is also permanently up on the UNHOLY GHOSTS page on the site, where the description and blurbs are.

Which brings me to today’s topic (see how neatly that was done?)

A while ago someone asked me in comments about blurbs, and last night I got an email asking about them again, which reminded me that I wanted to blog about them. Keep in mind this is my experience, and my thoughts, as always.

There’s a really cool post on the Reagan Arthur Books blog about blurbs, and the “karma” of them. And I believe there is a karma to them, yes.

I’ve seen a few times, in a few places, people expressing the idea that blurbs are given for money, or because the authors are friends, or whatever. I’ve never heard of blurbing for money, and I certainly can’t deny that friendship can lead to blurbs, but I have to be honest here; probably not as much as you think.

Take my blurb from Caitlin Kittredge for UG. Caitlin loved the book. Is Caitlin my friend? Absolutely; one of my closest friends (although we didn’t know each other very well when she first read UG). Does that mean Caitlin would have blurbed the book even if she hated it? I seriously doubt it.

The thing is, as writers we’re very aware of our “brand.” And what that means. We’re aware that if and when we recommend a book, our readers–who trust us–will see it. We don’t want to let our readers down, and we don’t want to disappoint them. We don’t want to mess with our own “brand” or our own reputations.

Are there writers out there who just blurb their friends willy-nilly? Oh, I imagine so. But to assume that’s the case with everyone strikes me as a bit unfair. To take Caitlin and myself again, we became friends because our tastes in and opinions on what constitutes good writing are so similar; we became friends because I loved her STREET MAGIC (and still do, with a passion) and she loved UNHOLY GHOSTS, both of which were in ms form at the time, pretty much. So of course she loves my work and I love hers; that’s how we got to know each other.

So I got a blurb from Caitlin by emailing her, and saying, basically, “Hey, you know my book that you told me you loved? Could you write a blurb for me to give to my editor?” And she replied with, “Yeah, of course! Here it is.”

I don’t try to hide my connection with Caitlin, or deny that she’s my friend. I guess if someone wants to believe her blurb means nothing because of that friendship, that’s their prerogative–just as it will be if you have a friend blurb your book, or blog about it, or whatever. But I don’t think that’s enough reason to keep from asking if your friends whose work you admire and feel is similar to yours will be willing to give you a blurb. Friends share interests and tastes; that’s one of the tenets of friendship, if you know what I mean. So it doesn’t bother me.

In a similar vein is my blurb from Ann Aguirre (which incidentally, is my favorite blurb ever in the world. I mean, “the ultimate bible of badassery?” Who wouldn’t love that?!) I knew Ann vaguely from around the internet, but not very well at all; we started following each other on Twitter, and exchanged a few comments here and there, but that was about it. But one night she said she was bored, and she was looking to read something with a different kind of love interest, someone who was rougher and not so handsome and dashing and all of that. I volunteered UNHOLY GHOSTS and sent it over to her, and she read it, and loved it. I told my editor she loved it, my editor told me to ask for a blurb, and I did. Ann is another one who I’ve become friends with because of writing; when you discover you enjoy someone else’s work, and that you have similar tastes, and even similar tones…friendships form, and it’s a fantastic thing. Because honestly, there’s nothing worse than reading a friend’s work and thinking it blows. It happened to me once, years ago, and it was really awful; I had no idea what to say.

I’m proud of my blurbs, and I’m proud to be friends with Caitlin and Ann. And as I say in the Acknowledgments of UNHOLY GHOSTS, the book is special to me for a lot of reasons, but especially because it was the book that brought some great people into my life.

So moving on. Those are my “friend” blurbs, although certainly in Ann’s case it was the book itself that really started our friendship. But I will say this one thing more, on the subject:

One of the most important things to me, as you guys who’ve been reading here for a while know, is politeness. Making other people feel comfortable, and welcome. I certainly don’t mean to sound like a braggarty braggart here or anything of that nature, but I will say–and this isn’t specifically about one of my blurbs, or even necessarily about blurbs in general–that it never hurts to be nice to people. There is simply no point in not being so.

And I don’t mean “nice” as in “If I’m nice to them they might do something for me.” I mean nice as in simply be a decent person. Treat other people with respect. Publishing is a small industry. We know who’s being a jerk to whom, or who stepped all over X or Y because they weren’t a big enough name. Well, guess what; if I’m friends with X or Y, and I get your ms mailed to me in hopes of a blurb, I’m going to say no. Why should I help someone who was rude to my friends? I don’t mean in a “not liking their work” way, and I don’t mean you need to be a kiss-ass; in fact, that’s just as bad.

What I mean is just that it doesn’t hurt to be friendly. Not to decide you’re better or more important than other people, or that they’re not worth your time. That doesn’t mean you have to spend all day every day helping others, but neither do you have to be rude when you decline to help. In any industry, it helps not to be a dick.

So. Let’s talk about other ways blurbs are given and received. In general, here’s what happens when the blurber in question isn’t someone whose email address you have, or someone you feel comfortable emailing and saying, “Hey, why don’t you blurb me up, yo?”

You and your editor will probably have a talk about blurbs, and who you think would be a good blurber, and who your editor things would be a good blurber. You may talk to your agent about this as well. You will probably agree on at least a few names.

Now, I’m of the school that believes blurbs are something for your editor to handle. I’m not a fan of emailing other writers for blurbs unless you know them pretty well. Because the thing is, it’s a lot harder to say no to a friend, and by emailing said writer yourself you’re kind of exploiting that. It may get you the blurb, yes, but it’s more likely to get you marked, at least in that writer’s mind, as an annoyance.

Others may disagree, and that’s certainly fine. Like I said, these are just my feelings and opinions.

If your agent is involved, s/he may contact a few people s/he knows to ask them about blurbing you. S/he will then pass the request on to your editor, who will compose an enthusiastic little letter about why s/he is certain that the potential blurber is going to just love the book more than anything in the world and thanking them for agreeing to look at it, and mail it off.

Again, unless it’s a unique situation or a personal friend, you don’t normally handle this. For one thing, those bound proofs can be heavy, and thus expensive to mail. Why pay for that yourself when your publisher can do it, and probably at a discount they’ve worked out with the shipping company? For another thing, it’s extremely difficult to compose a “You’ll love this I just know it” email about your own work. Yes, I guess it’s kind of like a query, but you know all those things you’re not supposed to put in your query, like “potential to be huge,” “amazing,” “an incredible new talent,” “something really special?” Yeah. Those all belong in the blurb letter. So it’s weird, and extremely hard to do without sounding like a hideous megalomaniac. And nobody wants to blurb hideous megalomaniacs.

And then? You wait.

Your editor might send some follow-up emails; again, it’s best for him/her to do it. If the connection came through your agent, s/he might follow up. The reason you don’t generally do this is the same: if it’s someone you know, they may be embarrassed to have forgotten or, worse, they may be embarrassed because they didn’t like your book. If it’s someone you don’t know at all…well, see that “annoying” thing again.

You’ll probably have people say no. It happens. Just like agent or editor rejections, it probably isn’t personal (although, when you know who a proof is being sent to, it’s a good idea to do a quick search on your blog or website or forums you frequent to make sure that if the writer in question does a google search, it won’t turn up you proclaiming to all and sundry that their latest book blows, or you hate their MC, or whatever. Because if that’s the case, then yeah, their “no” just might be personal). Your book simply may not be to their taste, and that’s fine. It’s nothing to get upset about.

Of course, sometimes they say yes, too. My Karen Marie Moning quote came this way; I didn’t actually even know my editor had sent her the books, but she had. All three of them. Karen’s blurb is for the entire series, and it’s lovely to see. I’d never met or spoken to Karen before, but her enthusiasm is of course wonderful, and I’m very, very grateful for it.

The thing is, blurbs are wonderful to have. They’re fun, and exciting. But I’ve heard more than once readers say they don’t pay attention to them. Part of this is, I think, because of the fallacy that blurbs are just a tit-for-tat, that the blurbers in question don’t even read the books or they get paid to say nice things about them.

That always surprises me, frankly. Do you really think the writer in question has that little integrity? In some cases they’re talking about writers they read and enjoy, even.

But blurbs are fun, and they’re good to have. Blurbs are important to bookstore buyers–a good blurb from a big name can jump the order numbers–and they’re very helpful when it comes to selling foreign rights.

Plus they just make you feel good. For me, I like the sense of community that comes from blurbs. I like the reminder that deep down we really love books and reading, and that we’re in this together. I like that it’s an industry where people help each other out.

So here’s the ultimate point. Blurbs are great. You want them. But don’t beat yourself up over them. And it never hurts to be friendly, and to be kind. And of course to write a great book.

And I keep feeling like I’ve forgotten something important about the blurbs, but I don’t remember what it was (obviously).

On Tuesday I’m going to go into more detail about the giveaway I’m doing for the UNHOLY GHOSTS release, but just in case the book starts appearing on shelves this early… If you buy UG, you get a free sample of the first three chapters of the second book, UNHOLY MAGIC. You email me with a scan of your receipt (or forwarded from an online site), or a picture of you with the book in somewhere that’s obviously not a bookstore, or a picture of the book somewhere not a bookstore if you’re shy, or a picture of your ereader with the book on it, or even just telling me your favorite parts of the book so I know you did read it.

The rules aren’t strict because this isn’t really a contest. It’s just a giveaway; a thank you to everyone who buys UG. Yes, I will be doing a few small giveaways as well, but again, not huge things, and just as a thank you.

You do not have to buy the book after or by any specific date, or in any specific place, or in any specific format, to qualify. I’ll probably end the giveaway in the third or fourth week of June, but that’s it.

Like I said I’m going to discuss it more on Tuesday but I wanted to get the info out there now, just in case it starts getting shelves REALLY early.

So I have some stuff to share with you about UNHOLY GHOSTS, but first, this morning my Faerie had her preschool graduation, which was a big teary deal for Mommy. She’s been going to a Baptist preschool nearby; a Baptist school because A) it’s close; B) it’s not as expensive as most of the other schools; and C) most importantly, when we went to take a look at the place the staff were so friendly and charming and non-judgy, and they were so kind to Faerie, and she liked it so much. I haven’t regretted it once, although I admit it’s a tad weird when she starts asking questions about religion etc. etc. I’m happy for her to learn about religions, though, and about different people believing different things, and the school is seriously fantastic. Her official last day is Friday and I know I’m going to be a gibbering mess.

Aaanyway. Graduation was this morning, and the kids gave a little concert, which is awesome. Awesome not just because, you know, it’s our baby on that stage, but because there’s always that one boy who refuses to play along. At the Christmas concert he just stood and stared at the audience the whole time, leading the hubs and I to invent dialogue for him, such as “I don’t trust you people,” or the classic Buscemi-on-SNL-inspired, “You’re all dead and you don’t even know it.” Today he played along a little more, but when the kids sang how God is watching and knows everything, he stood there arms akimbo rather than doing the hand movement; the rest of the class was happy in the knowledge that God knows everything, but Surly was berating us. Warning us. Informing us that we’re not going to get away with shit, so we shouldn’t even think about it. Surly is awesome.

So some new reviews have come in for UNHOLY GHOSTS! First, we have a Reviewer Top Pick from Nite Owl reviews:

Unholy Ghosts is the first book in Stacia Kane’s new series and is absolutely a full on winner!…The characters are kick ass and the plot will have you on the edge of your seat. I absolutely recommend it!

Of course, there’s also 5 Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies:

Stacia Kane has written an engrossing fantasy novel whose characters with their mix of vulnerabilities and friendships will worm their way into your heart… Her talent for world-building and ability to outline the concepts of the Church of Truth in easily understandable terms lend credibility to her work. Kane’s characters may have flaws, but they’re strong, likable and well-developed… I read the book straight through and eagerly await the second book in the series, UNHOLY MAGIC.

Next, some love from Coffee Time Reviews:

The action, suspense, sexual tension, and chills make this an intense book. Once you get into this novel, you will not want to put it down, and I am looking forward to more Chess Putnam adventures in the future.

Fresh Fiction says (no grade/rating given):

Intricately plotted within a disturbing setting, UNHOLY GHOSTS will be riveting for many readers…

Last but definitely not least, we have BSC Reviews (no grade/rating given):

In short? I loved [Chess], and not just because I love the Betty Page haircut (even though I really, really do). I went in expecting her to be a cardboard cutout ass-kicker and, instead, found an extremely flawed woman who, like all of us, makes bad decisions and then has to get out of them. She certainly doesn’t consider herself a hero. … As far as she’s concerned, she’s just trying to keep herself alive however she can. …
As I mentioned in my brief list of reasons-why-this-book-is-awesome, there’s a lot of action and very little fluff. …
If you like urban fantasy, ghost stories, or maybe you just want to try something exciting, definitely pick up this book. At the very least, it’ll be a fun ride. As for me, I think I’m a Chess Putnam fan for good.

VERY excited by all of these! I have to admit I’m especially thrilled by the last one, simply because what seemed to connect with the reviewer the most were exactly the things I tried hard to do/convey, but honestly, I’m really, really pleased/happy about all of them, and humbly grateful, and just hope readers feel the same way or at least give the book a try.

And speaking of giving it a try…how would you like to? You can! I have a PDF file of the first five chapters, and you can download it just by clicking here! UNHOLY GHOSTS sample Feel free to share this PDF, to email it to friends, to print it out and give it to pals who don’t read onscreen–anything, in short, save selling it, uploading it onto a filesharing site, or loading it onto your own website for it to be downloaded from there; I’d like to keep this site as the main source for the file if possible. (Also, of course, feel free to talk it up on your own website/blog/Twitter/Facebook/whatever you like.)

Next week I’m going to be announcing a special Buy-UNHOLY GHOSTS-giveaway. It’s not much–I’m frankly broke–but hopefully it will be something you’ll like, and everyone who buys the book gets it regardless or where, when, how, or in what format they purchase the book.

I’ll also be back in a few days with a “regular” blog, I promise, but like I said above…I’m kind of freaking out, and am very nervous, so I’m having a bit of a hard time concentrating.

Enjoy the free chapters!

Fans of urban fantasy will find themselves sleep deprived after they start this new series. It’s that hard to put down. Characters with larger-than-life personalities rule against a dark and dangerous backdrop. This is an exciting world you’ll want to escape into again and again. Don’t worry, the next will be out in July!

I also have some VERY IMPORTANT NEWS. Due to some seekrit behind-the-scenes-y bookstore-and-publisher stuff, the release date for UNHOLY MAGIC, the second Downside book, has been delayed by two weeks to JULY 6TH. (Unless something changes, this means you Australia/New Zealand folks will get the book one week before the US, Canada, and the UK/Ireland. Yay you, you get to be the first ones finally, how cool!) Anyway. I apologize to everyone but about the delay but I swear it’s for a good reason and we just might have some stuff here to at least make the waiting easier. So make sure you check back!

Also, I have the listing and blurb for the Polish edition, which will be released by Amber Publishing in, you guessed it, Poland. Check this out:

?wiat si? zmieni?. Zmarli powstali, by nawiedza? ?ywych. Tylko pot??ny Ko?ció? Prawdy mo?e ochroni? ludzi przed duchami…
Chess Putnam, czarownica na us?ugach Ko?cio?a, ma prawdziwy talent do odsy?ania duchów z powrotem do za?wiatów. Ale ma i k?opotliwy sekret: ogromny d?ug za narkotyki. ?eby go odpracowa?, Chess musi oczy?ci? z duchów nawiedzone lotnisko. I pakuje si? w piekielne k?opoty, przy których jej dotychczasowe problemy rozwiewaj? si? jak zjawa potraktowana ektoplazmarkerem…

Stacia Kane zadebiutowa?a jako autorka urban fantasy powie?ci? z ?owczyni? demonów Megan Chase. Ksi??ka zosta?a uznana przez ameryka?sk? sie? ksi?garsk? Barnes and Noble za jeden z najlepszych paranormalnych tytu?ów 2008. Powie?ci? Nie?wi?te duchy pisarka rozpoczyna swoj? najnowsz? seri?.

Hee!! Okay, yes, I know, it’s in Polish. Which I don’t understand either. So I ran it through one of those online translators.

Of course, online translators are notoriously, um, not very good. And this “translated” blurb is, pretty obviously I think, not a very good translation. But I think that sort of adds to its charm:

The world has changed. Deaths rose to haunt the living. Only the powerful Church of Truth may protect people from the ghosts …
Chess Putnam, a witch in the service of the Church, has a real talent for the return of the spirits back to the underworld. But it is and embarrassing secret: an enormous debt for drugs. To make up for it, Chess must clean the ghosts haunted the airport. I packed in a hellish trouble, at which the current problems shattered ektoplazmarkerem treated like a banshee …

Stacie Kane debuted as an author of urban fantasy novel of the demon hunter Megan Chase. The book was recognized by the U.S. network of bookshop Barnes and Noble as one of the best paranormal titles in 2008. Novel unholy ghost writer begins his latest series.

I really, really wish I’d thought of writing a UF heroine whose job was to clean ghosts. Imagine the fun you could have with that. Does she bathe them? Spitshine? 409 spray? Oh, I packed in a hellish trouble, my current problems shattered treated like a banshee… It’s like a kick-ass paranormal country music song written by Tonto, Tarzan, and Frankenstein’s Monster. (Actually, what it really, really reminds me of is the “Idiot Control Now” song from the Pod People episode of MST3K. Sack of monkeys in my pocket, my sister’s ready to go!)

Seriously, that is AWESOME. I wish I could see a real translation, because I am absolutely 100% certain that the blurb makes perfect sense to someone who actually understands Polish, and is wonderfully evocative and concise in that language. But the “TranStar” translation–which is the one I used–makes me giggle, anyway. There is just no substitute for a real live human translator. But I love the Polish title, and I think Polish is a cool language, and I’m just totally excited that the book will be translated into it.

Anyway. I am heading off for RT tomorrow–I’m spending a few days palling around first, which is why I’m leaving so early–so my online time will be curtailed. I’ll try to blog from the show if I can but I’m not counting on getting the chance, especially if this con hotel is anything like last year’s, where we never could get the internet to work in our room.

But! When I return we’ll have all kinds of good stuff to discuss, including blurbs and how they happen, and excerpts, and release dates, and the announcement of giveaways, and the beginning of our UG release day countdown!

And like any other writer with a book coming out, I’m thinking about promo. See, I want you to buy the book(s). I want you to get all of your friends to buy the book(s). I want to sell thousands and thousands and thousands of copies. I want to hit the NYT list, or the USA Today list, or the Publisher’s Weekly list, or Bookscan or whatever. Lists make writers happy, you see. And they make publishers happy, and everybody’s happy. Happiness is good.

And of course, I would hope that you guys, my lovely readers, would want to help me sell books or hit lists or whatever. Because we have something of a symbiotic relationship, you know, you and me. I write books, and you buy them, and when you buy them you encourage me to write more of them, and it’s all very cheering and makes me feel warm and happy inside to think that I’ve given you something you enjoy (I honestly love giving presents; I’m one of those weird people at holidays who gets more excited about the things I’m giving than what I might get).

But here’s the thing. While I would hope that you would want to help, I don’t expect you to. I’m surprised and thrilled and grateful whenever you do, but I don’t expect it. At all. Ever. And I certainly wouldn’t presume to INSIST you do, or berate you for not doing so. Or imply that you’re stupid for not purchasing my books in the exact fashion that I would prefer you to do so.

Sadly, it seems sometimes as if I–okay, I and several of my close friends–are alone in that feeling, that instinctive cringing when we see readers being treated like nothing more than open wallets whose sole purpose is to drive said writer to greater glory.

Do I want to hit a list? Of course, although I would never presume to think I have a real shot at it. Do I think it would be great if readers everywhere held off on buying my books until the day of release? Well, sure, I guess so, but see the aforementioned “I would never presume to think I have a shot at a list anyway so what does it matter,” answer. (Yeah, I know, that wasn’t the full answer, but it’s what I meant.)

Are there things readers can do to help a favorite author hit a list? Yeah, but not as many as you think, really. Sure, waiting until release day–or the day before, since books release on Tuesdays and sales are counted for the entire week, so buying on Monday is okay–helps. That’s a good thing to do, if you’re interested, but really that’s about it. It’s certainly all I would ever think to ask.

See…I work for YOU. I mean, yes, I work for myself, but I DO the work for you. You are my audience. You are not my slaves. You do not exist in order to feed my ego or allow me to add a shiny “List” pin to my vest. It’s not for me to tell you where you’re allowed to buy my books or in what format. I’m just amazed and grateful that you buy them at all.

I’ll be perfectly honest here. There are times when it feels as if the world of readers and the world of writers are at war. Readers want certain things; they have a right to want those things as consumers. But writers/publishers want certain things as well, and we have a right to want those things as content creators and producers. And don’t even get me started on copyright violations/piracy, and some of the justifications for those. Again, to be honest? There are times when I see discussions of it, or come across my books on filesharing sites, and have the sick, deep feeling that I should just give the hell up. I can never “win”–by which I mean earn a decent living consistently, when I’m being stolen from.

And it’s not just the financial theft, it’s the feeling that someone has literally reached into my mind and taken something from me without permission. It feels like I got drunk and told a deep secret to someone I thought was a friend, and that so-called friend turned around and told the world, and they’re all laughing at me. Or like a when a guy you really like sleeps with you and then never calls you again, you know? It makes me feel worthless, and frustrated, and lonely and sad. Sure piracy bothers me because of the money, sure, but really?

Piracy just hurts. It hurts to think someone is using you for entertainment but doesn’t think you deserve any compensation for that. It hurts to think you’re seen as less than human; as some sort of machine which exists for the gratification of others but is not permitted any gratification of its own. It hurts to feel that someone thinks they’re entitled to the fruits of your labor–the expression of the truth as you see it and the worlds and people you created and love–without paying for them. It doesn’t feel like a royalty payment was stolen from you. It feels like a tiny part of your soul was stolen from you.

That shit hurts.

And I imagine it hurts readers, too, when they’re made to feel–from being yelled at, lectured, or treated like they’re stupid–that they exist solely to provide the writer with titles and accolades. That just buying and reading and enjoying and talking about a book isn’t enough, that they now must buy it at certain times, in certain places, in certain formats, at certain phases of the moon, or whatever. Just as writers are not simply typewriters churning out words, readers are not simply notches on that big bestseller belt. They are people.

I’m not really sure where I’m going with this. Just that I think it’s wrong.

Do I want to sell a lot of books? Hell, yes!

But I don’t want to just sell a lot of books. I want to entertain a lot of people. I want to give them something. That’s what this is about, not numbers or lists. It’s about books and writing and reading and the way when we read a book we love we feel connected to that book, and those characters, and that author. And when we discover another fan of those books we have a connection with that person, and books created that connection, and it wouldn’t exist without writers, readers, and publishers.

So do I want to hit a list? Of course. Have I thought of various promotional things to do, fun things, that may help facilitate that? Sure.

Do I want to hit a list at the expense of readers, by berating them or nagging them, by treating them like my minions or like they fucking owe me that goddamn list, so they better get off their fat asses and do what I say?

No.

That’s not worth it to me. I don’t want it that way. It wouldn’t mean anything that way.

I may never hit a list. But I will always be grateful that people have bought my books, and read them and loved them and took the time to tell me. Yes, this is a business, and I want to succeed in it and make money. But not at the expense of readers, and not at the expense of my own soul.

So that’s it. Just some things I’m thinking of, and will continue to think of as we get closer to the summer and the release of the Downside books (finished copyedits on CITY OF GHOSTS last week, and am quite pleased, btw).

So…thanks.

ETA: Moira Rogers, who writes awesome books, has also done a post on this topic, and I highly recommend you check it out too. My response to it? Ditto.

Don’t you want to know what it is?! Of course you do. So go buy it!! It’s out there! On the shelf! Waiting for you!!

And here’s some excerpty goodness:

They all knew she’d been visited by the FBI the day before. Most of them knew of her friendship with Tera. Some of them knew about her friendship with Brian, and if they knew that they might very well also know that Brian’s girlfriend was a police officer.

She turned to look at Roc just as he appeared on her shoulder, and jumped slightly. Expecting to find empty air over your shoulder and instead finding a small dark green demon floating there would make just about anyone jump.

“There’s a human nearby,” he murmured. “Ariago and Hefferus tried to stop it but it would not be deterred, and they couldn’t get its Yezer to talk to them.”

“Its?”

“They didn’t say.”

“Shit.” She stood up, trying and failing to keep her chair from scraping the marble floor, and set her napkin on the table. “Sorry, everyone. We’re having a small issue in one of the hallways, I’m just going to go and have a look.”

“Shall I come with you?” Greyson touched her hand.

“No, no. Stay and eat. I’ll be right back.”

Her heels clicked on the floor, too loud in the ensuing silence. Everyone was watching her leave, with her dress swirling around her feet. The dress was a compromise; most Gretnegs wore their House’s colors, but her House’s colors, dark green and orangey gold, didn’t particularly flatter her.

Besides, Greyson liked her in black. And so did she.

She loved the dress, but couldn’t help wishing instead for a pair of tennis shoes and jeans, as she let the servants close the doors behind her and re-entered the ballroom in which they’d had cocktails. Her heels still made noise, and the last thing she wanted to do was announce her presence to anyone, so she slipped them off, cringing a little when her stocking-clad feet hit the cold floor.

Well, at least she wasn’t barefoot.

The empty ballroom kicked the faint rustling sound of her skirts and her feet on the floor back at her.
Unsettling. Almost as unsettling as her worries about what might be waiting for her.

A human, sure. No big deal; Megan was human. But how exactly was she supposed to deal with the situation? She hadn’t really tried hypnotizing people demon-style yet. It felt unethical, like a step down the road to inhumanity. And if she was going to take one step, what would stop her from taking another? And another? And suddenly there she’d be, eating pie like there was no tomorrow.

When she hit the doors leading back to the hallway she stopped, dropping her shields. Best to get an idea what she was in for.

Trickles of curious energy flowed from her, feeling their way through the doors and along the hall. Even the walls here contained echoes of emotions and events; most hotels did. How could they not, really, with so many lives, so many events, taking place in them? Hotels were microcosms of life, and intense emotions could leave imprints that lasted decades.

The human who’d gotten past her demons felt triumph. Excitement. She was—oh, shit. She was the FBI agent. Elizabeth Reid.

For a moment Megan froze. She couldn’t speak to the woman. Couldn’t even let the woman see her there, not after denying any knowledge of the meeting.

Then relief flooded through her. This was the Bellreive, and the private rooms had been rented for the week for an exorbitant price. She’d call the management and ask them to eject the intruder.

Yes, Elizabeth’s ID would probably make a difference there. But it would delay her at least long enough for Megan to inform the others what was happening.

It wasn’t a great plan, but it was a decent plan. Megan had just turned to head for the courtesy phone planted unobtrusively on the wall in an alcove when she felt the other presence.

Not human this time. Demon. Following Elizabeth Reid very closely. What the hell?

If something happened to Agent Reid, if she were attacked or even killed… They’d all be questioned. Their presence would be discovered. Agent Reid wasn’t the only one who suspected their little group was more than the gourmet club they’d told hotel management they were. It would be an unholy mess.

She headed for the courtesy phone, keeping her shields down, and reached into her black silk evening bag for her cell.

A bored receptionist answered the courtesy phone, her mind almost completely occupied by thoughts of the BDSM fun she’d get up to with her boyfriend later. Megan got a few very interesting images before she managed to shut the pictures down. Hey, wasn’t like she was anyone to judge, or had any interest in doing so. “I’m with the Gastrique party in the Moonlight Dining Room, and there’s a woman screaming outside the main doors. Could you please send security immediately?”

The receptionist—her attention fully diverted by Megan’s story—promised to do so. Megan hung up, scrolling through the numbers on her cell with her other hand until she found the one she wanted.

“’Ello, m’lady. Wot you need?” Malleus sounded, as always, alert and ready. She pictured him pacing the floor with the phone in his hand, just in case he was called.

In reality he was probably watching Dancing With the Stars or some such tripe with his brothers. It didn’t matter. He’d be at her side as soon as he could get himself down the stairs.

“Hey. I need someone down here. There’s a demon in the hall, and I don’t know what it is.”
“We’re coming.” The dial tone almost cut off the final syllable.

Okay. Security was on its way, and the brothers were too. She felt a little safer. Not much—she was acutely aware of the empty room behind her, of the demon getting closer—but a little.

She’d just turned to head back into the dining room and alert the others when the scream came through the double doors, loaded with terror so thick her own heart—both of them, actually—skipped a couple of beats. It was Agent Reid’s voice. Agent Reid, who was in the hallway with a demon of indeterminate appearance and intent.

Megan’s feet were moving before she thought of it. Whatever the consequences, they could be dealt with; if she couldn’t hypnotize the Agent she’d get one of the others to do it. Security wasn’t fast enough, the brothers weren’t fast enough—they had fourteen floors to get down, damn the damn luxury top-floor suites—and if she crossed the room to get the others the agent could be dead by the time they got there.

Of course, she could find herself dead, which was not a great thought. But she didn’t have much choice, not when another scream rent the air, worse than the first.

A heavy thud came through the doors a second before she flung them open. Could she still feel Agent Reid? Yes, she could, she focused on her and—wait. Reid was moving away from the doors; her thoughts were a bit jumbled but she didn’t seem particularly frightened. Had the demon, whatever kind of demon it was, altered her memories?

Too late to stop and think about that, to consider the implications. The doors were open, banging against the walls and bouncing back at her, the sound of them hitting the plaster loud in the heavy silence.

And it was silent. Dead silent. Empty, except a thin, horrible streak of red on the wall that she knew was blood. Could smell was blood; human blood.

A flicker of movement at the end; a figure disappearing around the corner. Agent Reid. What the hell had happened? Was she injured?

Injured or not she was beyond the point where Security would find her. Megan had two choices, neither of them right. To follow the agent and make sure she was okay would be the moral thing to do, but would get her busted. To ignore the agent’s possible injuries and head back to her dinner as if nothing was wrong wouldn’t be the moral thing to do. It would be the negligent thing to do. But probably the correct thing.

She hesitated for a moment, then took a step forward. She’d follow, but she’d hang back. That way she wouldn’t be spotted but if Reid collapsed or something she could—

Something slammed across the back of her legs, knocked her down before she even had time to feel the injury. Her shocked body moved of its own accord, scrambling to get away, already anticipating the next blow.

It didn’t come. Instead a heavy hand tangled in her hair, yanked her up. The scent of—what the hell? Roses?—filled her nose, so strong and sharp her eyes watered even more than they were already from the pain.

Through them she barely made out the delineation between ivory wall and dark hallway carpet before the hand moved, closing tight over her mouth and twisting her head further, up toward the ceiling. She tried to struggle, kicking back, jerking her torso, but an arm like iron closed around her waist, trapping her arms. Her feet, encumbered by heavy layers of taffeta, did no good at all.

Her ears rang. Dimly over the sound she heard something else, a low, thick voice like sandpaper. She couldn’t make out the words but felt them. They vibrated over her bare skin, through it into her soul.

Magic. She’d been around Tera enough to recognize that feeling. Had even been able to do some energy manipulation herself, back before she’d attached herself to the Yezer. That connection made it difficult for her to do such things; their energy tended to color her experiments and send them in bizarre directions, so she’d given up trying.

But she still knew what it felt like. Wasn’t likely to forget. And the person who held her—a man, she knew it was a man without thinking—was definitely doing magic.

She would have known that even if the wall behind them hadn’t suddenly opened and swallowed them up.