Elsewhere with Gifts

Today I'm at Bitten by Books recommending some fun gifts for the readers on your shopping list. Stop by if you get a chance and enter to win this tote packed with signed books and all the reader gifts, too.

Lucan's Christmas Letter

Lucan decided to write a letter to Santa, and if you're interested in finding out what he wants for Christmas you can read it here.

Nightbred Audio on Sale

Here's a look at the cover art for the audio edition of Nightbred, which along with all of Tantor's audio books is currently 50% off. It's also narrated by Johanna Parker, who did such an amazing job with the audio edition of Nightborn. According to the site this will start shipping on December 17th.

Jamys Arrives

Today is the official release date for Nightbred, the second novel in my Lords of the Darkyn trilogy. As most of you know my published novels are my only source of income, so buying a copy is the best way to show your support for me and keep Paperback Writer funded and ad-free.

December is supposed to be the worst month in which to release a novel, but I always look at it as a better opportunity to sell. After all, lots of you will be out there shopping. For those of you who are fans of my Darkyn books, and would like to see me continue writing in this universe, now would be the time to invest in it. Also, if you enjoy the story, please let other readers know about it, as word of mouth is the best advertising in the world a writer can't buy.

Online Shopping Links:
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million
Amazon.com

Elsewhere Keeping Warm

Now that I've finished my NaNo novel, today I'm over at Under the Covers talking about my secret to keeping warm while enjoying winter reads. Stop in if you get a chance and enter to win signed copies of Nightborn and Nightbred along with warming nibbles and a gift basket of luxurious bath products from Le Petite Maison.

Elsewhere with Pearls

I hope all those who celebrate Thanksgiving are having a great holiday. Today I'm over at Literary Escapism to help kick off their Black Friday author event by taking Lucan shopping. Yes, that Lucan. Stop by if you get a chance, and enter to win this collection of goodies, all packed in my Victorian Pearl Girl tote, which I beaded and quilted by hand with sumptuous fabrics, all sorts of laces and ribbons, freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals, chandelier gems and pretty much every sort of glass bead in the house.

Elsewhere with My Chicas

Today I'm visiting the lovely ladies at Southern Fried Chicas, which is my favorite writer group blog, to confess the reasons why I won't shop at book stores in December. Drop in when you can and you might win this tote with signed books and a gift basket of lavender aromatherapy products to calm your shopping nerves.

Elsewhere Again

Today I'm over at author David Bridger's blog talking about what happens when a girl from the tropics takes a busines trip to Chicago in mid-winter. Stop in if you get a chance and you might win one of three signed copies of Nightbred I'm giving away to David's readers.

This and That

There is nothing like a fabulous book, except perhaps a fabulous book that ends a streak of bad reading luck. Mine came along last night in the form of A Druid's Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year by Ellen Evert Hopman.

At the moment I'm beginning some research into homeopath remedies to use with a writing project, and I always like to consult the pagans because they know more about herbs and natural healing than anyone. Ms. Hopman is a master herbalist and a terrific writer, and handles what would otherwise be very dry reading with superb confidence. I also liked the simple respect the author has for the Old Ways; she also included very specific warnings on which herbs should not be used by people with health issues, pregnant ladies and so forth. This one is a must-have reference book for your library if you're writing about the practice of herbalism, earth religion, the pagan calendar, or want to learn more about them.

I'm also finishing out my work schedule for the year by planning my online promo for Nightbred, book two in my Lords of the Darkyn trilogy. If any of you bloggers out there would like to have me stop in at your place for an interview, guest post and/or giveaway from November 15th through December 3rd, please e-mail me at LynnViehl@aol.com. In return I can offer your readers signed books as well as some holiday-themed goodies.

A Little Nightbred

In December Nightbred, the second novel in my Lords of the Darkyn trilogy, will be hitting the shelves. Here's the cover copy:

Jamys Durand has survived being made an immortal Darkyn, horrific torture, and years of grueling warrior training. But he has no future to offer Chris, the mortal woman he loves. When he learns of a lost Templar treasure, Jamys vows to possess it and win his lady's heart.

No one knows Chris Lang wants to be a tresora so she can live with Jamys, her secret love. Her superiors offer to make her dream comes true, but only if she finds the lost treasure before Jamys can. Working together, Chris and Jamys track the jewels through a shadowy maze of priceless artifacts, decadent secrets and a ruthless opponent who can possess an immortal's mind . . . and will stop at nothing to have Chris.

If you'd like to sample the novel, head over to the stories blog and read an excerpt here.

This and That

After several requests came in for advance reading copies of my December release Nightbred I checked with my editor, and it turns out that my publisher will not be printing any this time around. Instead NAL will be placing the novel up on Net Galley, which I'm told hands out e-book versions for reviewers and bloggers. I don't know how difficult it is to use this service, as I buy all the books I talk about here on the blog, but I'm sure you techno-savvy folks know all about it.

It's a little sad to see the end of printed ARCs, although it will be nice not to see them being sold on eBay or by used booksellers on Amazon for ridiculous prices. I've heard some authors get permission to print their own ARCs via short run printers, but at present I don't have the time or the room in the budget for that. I've done my own photocopied, unbound galleys in the past but they're a bit cumbersome.

I'm planning to do some online giveaways for Nightbred during mid-to-late November, and for these I'll use signed copies of the final edition (this assuming my author copies come in earlier than the release date.) It will also mean I have to do the promo a few weeks later than I'd planned, but this is part of the E-future, and it's time I got in step with it.

I've also received several e-mails from readers who noted the BBC's coverage of the unique tomb burial discovered beneath the ruins of Templo Mayor in Mexico City and how closely it resembles the tomb in my novel Nightshine.

It's not the first time my fiction has pre-empted fact, and I do understand why it kind of weirds out everyone when it does. While the newly-uncovered tomb is in the same (okay, the exact same) location of the fictional tomb of Sokojotsin in my book, which I wrote two years ago, no psychic visions on my part were involved. I attribute the coincidence to a lucky combination of research and imagination. I spent months studying the history of the Aztecs, their culture and how they lived in preparation for writing Nightshine.

As for the specific reasons I chose Templo Mayor as the not-quite-final resting place of this character, there were two: 1) it was one of the most important temples in Tenochtitlan, and 2) it was actually destroyed by the Spanish exactly when I needed it to be destroyed to fit in with the character's storyline. That archaeologists have now uncovered a significant burial beneath the same temple in the real world is yes, simply an odd coincidence, nothing more. I can tell you with 100% confidence that they won't find in their tomb what I put in mine in the novel.

First Look

Here's the cover art for Nightbred, book two in my Lords of the Darkyn trilogy, to be released in December (and can now be preordered at B&N.com here.)

Memed Again

The author meme: "...post 7 lines from page 77 of our latest book or current manuscript, starting after the 7th sentence."

Blame it on: Shiloh Walker.

Excerpt From Nightbred by Lynn Viehl, to be released in December 2012:

She hugged her waist with her arms and looked away. “Sometimes, when I’m too tired to drive home, I sleep up here.”

“Alone?” he couldn’t help asking.

Her eyes glittered. “No, I usually invite the entire garrison up to cuddle with me. Unless the guys want to play Strip Scrabble or Naked Twister. Then we go to the rec room down the hall.” She stalked out of the kitchen.

Wait for It

I have a few announcements, some of which due to various and sundry details to be confirmed/wrapped up/signed/so forth have to sit on the back burner for now. But in the meantime I can let you know what's confirmed and drop a few hints about the rest:

My publisher has sold foreign rights for Twilight Fall and Stay the Night to be published in German. I've also accepted an offer for audio rights to all three novels in the Lords of the Darkyn trilogy, so those will be coming out as audio books as well as print and e-books.

I've turned in to my new editor the complete manuscript for the steampunk novel I sold this month, so that's done (and this book is the one I wrote the first draft of during NaNoWriMo 2009, for those who have been nagging me about it.) More info to follow once I've signed the actual contract, finalized the title, get pub dates etc.

The second novel in the Lords of the Darkyn trilogy is also finished -- yes, I've been a busy girl -- and since someone else spilled the beans on the title of book one before I had a chance to announce it, let me be the first to tell you book two will be titled Nightbred. More details on this one are also pending.

Those of you who would like a chance to preview Nightborn, the first novel in the Lords of the Darkyn trilogy, should definitely stop by the blog next week.

Finally, while I can't discuss what I was writing because I don't want to jinx it, my total count for November was 98.4K, and the goal I set for myself was 80K, so I reached my finish line, too. Congratulations and hugs to everyone who participated in NaNoWriMo 2011.