Conduit Series: Illustration and an excerpt: Rought

*‘Rought’ Guerra. Shifter. Illustration by* Nicole Deal.

The engine hasn’t even died before the driver’s-side door is opening, and a male steps out — dark-blond hair, naturally tanned skin, and shoulders so broad I’m surprised that he slips out of the car so agilely. Though he is clearly a shifter.

The moment his booted feet hit the ground and the energy underpinning the property rises to ghost his footsteps, I know that he is a … presence, a power. He’s in black jeans and a light-gray henley. He lays his hand on top of the Camaro, pivoting toward me — not bothering to look at the barn or the property or anything else as he reaches to shut the car door with his other hand.

He meets my gaze. His eyes are light colored, either blue or green, but I can’t tell which at this distance.

He’s still moving, hand running across the top of the car, then down the back window, then fingers only along the trunk.

He fucking caresses the fucking car as he crosses alongside it, then continues steadily toward me. And for a moment of utter insanity, I want it to be my curves under those fingertips.

The passenger-side door thunks closed. I feel Presh’s presence as well. But I can’t tear my gaze away from the golden god in worn black jeans taking long, steady strides toward me. I’m locked in his gaze.

The nearer he gets, the more I see … in his expression, in his body language, in the way his essence entwines with that of the property.

I’m not lightheaded.

I’m not beguiled or enchanted.

The nearer he gets, the more anchored I feel.

Not frozen. Not overwhelmed.

I’m in this moment. Breathing it. Savoring it. As if … as if … my very soul has been starved? And he is … he is …

– Awry (Conduit 1), Chapter 10 (slightly edited for spoilers)

RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 25, 2024

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PAPERBACK

Available on release day from Amazon (etc).

Having a minor meltdown this afternoon. Yes, over paperbacks.

ETA: The lovely Gene and Sasha have swooped in to make sure the cover is as perfectly pretty as I want it to be (but you know still intense/forboding/striking because I’m never easy to please 😂). But I won’t be using these printers again (or possibly overseeing print runs on my own again. I’m not sure I have the temperament for it. 😜).

Having a minor meltdown over the limited-edition paperback covers for Awry (Conduit 1). The proof the printer sent (which cost me $130 BTW) (see my video a couple of weeks back) printed darker than I like. This can and does happen often, due to the printer settings, I believe. I approved the proof (the interior is lovely) but asked them to try to lighten it on their end (i.e. tweak it for their own printer settings, etc). They sent me a photo of the ‘tuned up contrast’ that they did, and it looks AWFUL.

Now, the production team must have known how awful their ‘tuned-up version’ looked, because they wouldn’t have sent me a comparison picture. And yes, I could have just said, print it like you printed the first proof (which was a little dark, lacking the great contrast of the eBook/PDF versions, but still striking), but of course, NOW I’M REALLY WORRIED.

So, more than a little freaked out, I immediately contacted the cover designer. And G&S, of course, are going to fix as much as they can on their end.

I let the printer know that the designer is doing a pass (read: to fix the PRINTER issues. Not DESIGN issues).

And … they immediately inform me that I’ll owe them another $45 for uploading a new cover and there WILL BE NO PHOTO.

Yep, they just want to print the cover without any oversight.

You know, as if their first attempt hadn’t already been an issue.

I’ve informed them back that if they want to send me $4k of books because they can guarantee that the cover looks exactly like the PDF I submit (read: like it should have the first time), then great! But, if not, then certainly they do test prints themselves, yes? Perhaps as quality control before every print run? So they must be able to take a picture and send it my way, and include that in the $45 extra fee, yes?

Haven’t heard back. I assume they’re going to sic someone higher on the food chain on me now.

Sigh.

I loathe confrontation.

I just want pretty paperbacks.

And yeah, I won’t be working with them again. This aligns with my determination to not be running a ‘store’ in 2024, so just … extra motivation to stick to my resolutions, I suppose.

Also, I’m aware that these sorts of issues stem from me defaulting to being ‘nice’ all the time (see the note about confrontation above). Instead of being (what I perceive as) picky and demanding. Because I understand that some printers just default to printing darker, etc, and I just ask them to do their ‘best’ to fix it, while also paying a nonrefundable $2k deposit because they’ve already delayed my freaking print run by two weeks.

In other news, the paperbacks are probably going to be (further) delayed.

Here’s a pretty picture to soothe us all.

Okay, to soothe me.

Okay, enough grumbling! I’ve got postcards and stickers to design/order!

Conduit Series: Illustration and an excerpt: Presh

Precious ‘Presh’ Guerra. Awry. Illustration by Nicole Deal.

“I can’t push you,” I say gently. “Some choices have to be your own. Not everything is determined by fate alone.”

Startled, her eyes flick up to meet mine. “Can you get me home?”

“I’ll die trying,” I say, aware that I’ve uttered my own destiny — a single, short thread of it, at least — as the words fall from my lips.

I’ve never been great at keeping my mouth shut, even when I’m trying. Or ignoring a knowing even when doing so was in my best interest.

I reach for her.

She steps closer to accept my hand.

The thin threads already connecting us solidify so suddenly and sharply that it’s like a punch to the gut. I lose my breath within the momentary onslaught of sensation. It settles into an unadulterated rightness. More than a simple thread of destiny.

I’ve never felt the like before. Even accepting my inheritance was less … steady, less resolved. But most essence-wielding is like that. Most essence, most power, grows slowly, and not necessarily steadily.

“What … what was that?” she asks in a whisper.

I meet her gaze, blinking and still feeling a little out of body. “Fate,” I whisper back. “It seems … we are meant to be here, in this moment and beyond.”

She smiles. It’s tentative, shaky. Her grip on my hand is almost punishing.

“What’s your name, sweetness?”

“Presh …” She exhales hope along with the gift of her name, fortifying the connection between us further. Then she inhales strength — I can see it flooding through her — and gives me more. “Precious Guerra.”

I lean into her, taller by a half-dozen inches. My necklace swings forward, drawing her attention again. “Zaya Gage,” I say. Then I add, teasingly, “Granddaughter of Necessity, Daughter of Darkness and Night.” Even though I’m speaking the utter truth. As I always must when I’m about to walk the path of my own destiny.

To my death, I had no doubt.

Presh giggles quietly, as I’d hoped she would. Though depending on how much of the family history I’m willing to accept as pure truth, I’m not lying.

– Awry (Conduit 1), Chapter 1

RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 25, 2024

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Quick Awry (Conduit 1) limited edition update:

Paperback: there have now been two significant delays at the printer level (and yes, I’m peeved about it as well). Combined with the holidays, the worst-case scenario is the paperbacks WON’T ship before release day. Best case and no delays with shipping? Still, a (slim) chance that some of you WILL have the paperbacks in hand on or around release day. I will definitely keep you posted. In case you missed in on my socials I embedded a quick video of me ‘unboxing’ the proof below.

The limited-edition eBook will still released three days ahead of the official release [January 21 at midnight PST][you know this is going to release early because … well, I’m me 😂]. Regular eBook releases via all the other retailers on January 25, 2024.

The Conduit 1 audiobook goes into production this week. Erin (aka Felicia) just let me know that she is starting recording tomorrow! Whoot! So that means (as long as I don’t slow anything down too badly in January when I’m doing my listening proof) the audiobook will be released around the end of January as well – this is just for the ‘direct sales audiobook’. It will take an extra three or so weeks to show up on other retailers (because that’s how long it usually takes to upload on Audible, etc).

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If you missed out on the limited-edition paperback, the regular paperback will be available to order from Amazon (etc) starting January 25 as well.

And now I have some postcards and stickers to get designed/ordered!

Fun! Fun!

Conduit Series: Illustration and an excerpt: Muta

Muta.

In his actual form.

Although he looks like a snake — a long gold body with dorsal blotches of dark brown that form inverted triangles, ending in a horny spined tail — Muta is actually an aspect of the divine who was trapped in the body of a snake. As a punishment, perhaps. At least according to family legend.

So kind of like me, but not really. I have opposable thumbs and a more well-rounded diet. But Muta has the wicked fangs and venom, among other otherworldly tricks.

It’s also possible he’s one of my ancestors. Again, depending on how much of the family mythos can be wholly believed.

– Awry (Conduit 1) Chapter Two

RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 25, 2024

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Conduit Series: Illustration and an excerpt: The Gage Estate

The Gage Estate. Illustration by Kateryna Vitkovska (@vitkovskaya_art)

Instead of unlatching the gate, I climb it. The fencing is about six feet high on this edge of the property. Grasslands allowed to go wild stretch from here up to the house, which is set back from the bluff. A long, sandy beach stretches out as far as the eye can see — with enhanced or normal sight — from either side of that jagged, rocky outcropping. A low-lying beach punctuated by massive rock formations jutting out of the surf runs to the right. To the far south, near the very edge of the property, dunes begin to rise.

Except ‘property’ really isn’t the right word to encompass the mass of land that the Conduit and the Gage family occupy along the coast of Oregon. It’s a territory, really. Hectares upon hectares of land and beach. Even the foreshore is protected from public access, with both legal and essence-enforced boundaries. There’s a no-fly zone above, and a no-boating zone set between us and international waters. No entry without permission.

I can’t currently see that much of the property, of course. Not even while balanced on top of the gate. I can, however, see the conical roof of the turret tower on the main house, offset to the left on the asymmetrical structure. None of the usually ever-present soft glow emanates from its windows.

– Awry (Conduit 1), Chapter Six, Zaya

RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 25, 2024

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Conduit Series: Illustration and an excerpt: Zaya

Zaya Gage. Awry. The Conduit. Illustration by Nicole Deal.

I’m staring. Going from coldly enraged to numb …

Because the gun I expected. It’s a lightweight, untraceable piece I slipped into the room myself ages ago.

But … Zaya Gage — a slightly older version of Zaya, and looking like death warmed over — is sitting on a motel bed in Outcast territory.

Alive.

And glaring fucking daggers at me.

Glaring at me as if she doesn’t know me at all.

As if she’s seriously considering shooting me.

The numbness holding me in place cracks, splintering like a skiff of ice over a dark well of vicious despair.

Her eyes, vibrant and utterly beguiling, are the wrong color.

Bright, soul-fucking-searing violet.

Not the warm, deep purplish-blue I gazed into summer after summer. Not the deadened, darkened purple that stared up into the storm-blackened sky, unseeing. The eyes that still haunt my nightmares, for almost thirteen years now.

My Zaya would be a month away from her thirtieth birthday. This woman, with her slight frame, her dusky pink lips, and her cheekbones and collarbone looking like carved white stone or the age-bleached fucking bones of some prehistoric creature, is too young.

– Awry (conduit 1), Chapter Four, Rath

RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 25, 2024

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Audiobooks: Dowser 8.5

Yes! You asked and the narrators, the producer/engineer, Julie, and I have been sneakily working in the background to bring Graveyard, Visions, and Other Things that Byte (Dowser 8.5) to audio!

The audiobook was meant to be a holiday treat but it is ready a couple of weeks early, and you know how terrible I am at keeping secrets. 😂 It will be available on all retailers in approximately three to four weeks but you can grab it directly from me now (and at the best price, as always).

Graveyards, Visions, and Other Things that Byte (Dowser 8.5), narrated by Tia Rider (Mory), Jennifer Grace (Rochelle), and Erin Moon (Jasmine). $10CDN

BUY DOWSER 8.5 AUDIOBOOK DIRECT FROM MCD

And yes, there is definitely some match-matching going on between narrators and characters! Tia Rider (Amplifier Series) will be voicing Mory’s books, including Misplaced Souls (Misfits 1) later in 2024 (as well as any future Mory books). Jennifer Grace already narrated the Oracle trilogy! And Erin Moon (Dowser Series) will be tackling Jasmine whenever I manage to get to writing her series!

Fun! Fun!

All audiobooks available directly from MCD:

Dowser Series

Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic (Dowser 1)

Trinkets, Treasures, and Other Bloody Magic (Dowser 2)

Treasures, Demons, and Other Black Magic (Dowser 3)

Shadows, Maps, and Other Ancient Magic (Dowser 4)

Maps, Artifacts, and Other Arcane Magic (Dowser 5)

Artifacts, Dragons, and Other Lethal Magic (Dowser 6)

Champagne, Misfits, and Other Shady Magic (Dowser 7)

Misfits, Gemstones, and Other Shattered Magic (Dowser 8)

Graveyards, Visions, and Other Things that Byte (Dowser 8.5)

Gemstones, Elves, and Other Insidious Magic (Dowser 9)

Oracle Series

I See Me (Oracle 1)

I See You (Oracle 2)

I See Us (Oracle 3)

Reconstructionist Series

Catching Echoes (Reconstructionist 1)

Tangled Echoes (Reconstructionist 2)

Unleashing Echoes (Reconstructionist 3)

Amplifier Series

The Amplifier Protocol (Amplifier 0)

Demons & DNA (Amplifier 1)

Bonds and Broken Dreams (Amplifier 2)

Mystics and Mental Blocks (Amplifier 3)

Idols and Enemies (Amplifier 4)

Instincts and Impostors (Amplifier 5)

Recon Misson: Bee (Amplifier 5.5)

Endings and Empathy (Amplifier 6)

Archivist Series

Awakening Infinity (Archivist 0)

Invoking Infinity (Archivist 1)

Compelling Infinity (Archivist 2)

Coming soon

Conduit 1 – early 2024

Click here for the reading order of the Adept Universe, including downloads, etc.

Conduit Series: the first of many, many polls to come 😜

Okay! I need to put together some sort of ‘marketing’ schedule leading up to the official* release of Awry (Conduit 1) on January 25, 2024. And yes, now you know that everything I’ve done marketing-wise (except the cover reveal) has been completely winged. 😂

Anyway! I’ve commissioned a ton of art but a few pieces must remain secret until the limited-editions have been delivered. I mean, ideally, they would remain secret until everyone has read the first book, but we all know that’s not going to happen. I have seven illustrations that I think can be revealed, one a week leading up to the release, and I thought it would be fun for you (me?) to ask you to help me determine the order of those reveals.

So without further ado here is the poll.

Art will be posted (possibly with some teasers/extras) on Tuesdays in the order determined by the poll, starting next week! Fun! Fun!

*official release: the limited-edition version of Awry (Conduit 1) will be released earlier, depending on shipping times for the paperbacks, of course.

Advent 2023

It’s that time of year again – which is seriously, seriously insane! Time to hang up and fill the Advent calendars that Michael and I made (click the link for the ‘making-of’ post) when we realized that a Christmas tree and living in a one-room cabin really didn’t go well together. We’re in a bigger place now – yay! for completed additions/renovations – but we still aren’t doing a tree this year (life is a little overwhelming, but hopefully 2024 will feel a little less schedule-driven).

As I have since 2016, I’ll share my #ChocolateForBreakfast advent treat shots/posts on my Instagram account, rather than spamming my blog feed. Though I now have Instagram feeding onto my Facebook page as well. But! Here is a screenshot of my December 1, 2023 treat!!

Desbarres Monte Grande 72% Guatemala. Chocolatiers are based in Ontario. Awards: Silver from the International Chocolate Awards in 2020 and 2022. Tasting notes (via the bar): caramel, banana, and citrus. Tasting notes (MCD): immediately fruit forward (the banana, I guess?) but quickly resolving into an almost pungent citrus, heavy on the lemon zest. Creamy, smooth chocolate. Tasty, but definitely a challenge to my palate.

Money is crazy tight for all of us right now. Rent, etc, is way too high. Food and groceries are crazy outrageous. So we’re going to be celebrating a quiet holiday season. Doing our advent calendars and our Christmas movie and homemade pizza Fridays, but no tree or presents or expensive travel. I hope you will all find a spark of joy to ease you through the season. And, fingers crossed, hopefully 2024 is a bit … smoother, and easier.

If I remember, I’ll post my holiday baking round-up aka later in the month.

Happy December 1st!