I’m so excited to share that my story, “The Great Burning”, has been published for the brand new anthology The Librarian Reshelved released by The Air and Nothingness Press! This anthology comes as a sequel to the wildly successful Kickstarter backed anthology The Librarian.
This anthology is only available in print and with a limited number of copies, printed in perfect bound paperback with French flaps. It will be limited to a 250 copy run. You can grab your copy here while it’s available.
The Librarian Reshelved
A collection of speculative fiction stories about the Librarian’s adventures roving through the multiverse getting in and out of trouble and paying people’s library fines.
The Librarian Reshelved is a continuing collection of speculative fiction stories about one Librarian’s adventures roving through the multiverse.
Look at that gorgeous cover for the fourth book in The Wolves of Kanta series!
I’m absolutely in love with this amazing cover by Harvest Moon Designs! The colors just really make this piece stand out. I love the branches above Mercy’s head and how determined she looks. The trees in the background with the crows give it a mysterious vibe. The gun in Mercy’s hand really hints at the danger in this book too.
This entry in the Wolves of Kanta series has some major thriller vibes simply because she’s been captured. It’s something Mercy has evaded for years but eventually her luck runs out.
I’m so in love with how this series is going and I can’t wait to get this book out into the world. I’m working on finishing up edits and prepping for ARC readers now. This book hits bookshelves on December 20th!
The Fury of Kanta
Captured!
It didn’t matter that Mercy found a cure for lycanthropy or fended off bloodthirsty werewolves in Crowsmirth. Oscar the hunter still found her. Finding herself in a place she never wanted to return to again, her captor insists she play a twisted game.
Oscar wants to be the father she never had, and Mercy his doting daughter. Refusal is not an option. Plotting to escape while playing along is dangerous, but Mercy is determined to get home.
She must unravel the mystery of her parents’ past and conceal her growing fury if she hopes to see her friends again.
This strange noir mystery short story may have only been released as a solo ebook in November 2019, but this story actually has quite a history. This story was entered into a competition back in 2012 with a publisher who is no longer active. It came in as a semi-finalist, the first award I ever received for my writing. It was ultimately published twice by them in two editions. Once as part of the anthology, RealLies, which you still might be able to find in print somewhere. Then again as a standalone story. I almost ended up having a novel of mine published with them, but then negotiations fell apart and ultimately the publisher closed its doors.
Long story short, the rights came back to me. For the longest time I didn’t know what I wanted to do with it. At almost 10,000 words, it was too long to really submit to most short story calls and it was far too unique to really fit into an anthology of my own work. Trolls that change form, a film noir style, and a hard boiled detective story surrounded with sarcasm and a dry sense of humor, it had a hard time fitting in anywhere.
Then in November 2019, I got curious about independent publishing. I was sad that this weird and funny story was gathering dust on my computer and I didn’t like that I associated it with its previous publisher. It needed a new place to call home but was far too strange to fit in anywhere. So I decided to self publish it.
Now I’m happy to announce that it is available in AI audiobook format, free to listen to in its entirety on Youtube. For the first time in ten years, it’s available in an audiobook format.
Rest assured, it’s still a strange and has a very dry sense of humor, but I’ll always have a soft spot for it. I hope you’ll take an hour and give it a listen, if you’re okay with trolls speaking with an AI voice!
For years I’ve struggled to produce audiobooks for many of my stories due to the high price point. Especially for my shorter works. This has been frustrating since I know I have readers who prefer some form of audiobook over ebooks. It’s always been an accessibility issue that’s bothered me. It can exclude readers with eyesight issues or those who are uncomfortable with ebooks.
I’m happy to share that with the power of Google AI, I finally have the chance to get many stories into audiobook format that never would have had the chance before such as Night Feeders.
I admit I listen to a lot of AI audio on YouTube. Spooky Reddit stories are some of my favorite late night content when I want entertaining background noise. I’ve gotten accustomed to AI voices reading stories. When I found out that this was an option and other authors were doing this too, I knew I had to join in.
I’m happy to share that I now have my first AI read audiobook up on YouTube with my short story, Night Feeders! It’s also available on Google Play for the same price as the ebook. I plan to have it on my Ko-Fi shop and possibly Kobo too.
Look for more AI audiobooks to be posted up on YouTube soon. Be sure to Like, Share, and Subscribe so you don’t miss them!
Every book I write is a collaborative effort. I always try to emphasize that because there’s a perception that books are only crafted by the author. While that may be the case for some books, it is not the case for mine.
I ran into trouble trying to find an editor for The Blood of Kanta and the rest of The Wolves of Kanta series. I thought I had someone lined up, but it turned out that was for a sample edit and it would take six months after I approved the sample for a full edit. That was my bad, I misunderstood what I was signing up for. But I simply couldn’t wait that long.
I found Lara Zielinsky’s information on the Wide for the Win Facebook group. She was listed with high praise, so I reached out and explained my situation. Lara gave me a sample edit and worked out a schedule for me. She made this stressful situation so much easier to deal with. She not only put together a series style guide for me but also gave me wonderful feedback for The Blood of Kanta. She encouraged me to lean into the science more and not be afraid to go into more detail. I’m endlessly grateful to her for helping me out when I was in a dire situation, and for her incredible notes and feedback. I’m thrilled to have her for the rest of The Wolves of Kanta series!
Each cover was also carefully crafted. I worked with Harvest Moon Premade Cover Design for the entire Wolves of Kanta series. Blood of Kanta’s cover was especially fun to make because of the vials in her hands. I especially like the one that looks like poison–that was her suggestion! She was wonderful to work with each time I needed some graphic or had a question. I honestly can’t recommend her enough!
Finally, there’s the map of Kanta, which I intend to include for every book in the series. My sister, Kelley M. Frank, put it together after working closely with me on the look and style. She kept it simple but also added a lot of important places to keep the map relevant for the entire series, which I love. One of the best parts of having a map of the world while I’m actively writing the series is that I can reference it as I go.
Each book is a collaboration project put together by me and several creative professionals who are all far more experienced in their field than me. As much love as my books get, remember I could never do it alone.
Thank you to Lara Zielinsky, Harvest Moon Premade Cover Design, and Kelley M. Frank for all your help. I look forward to working with each of you again!
If you love their work as much as I do, go visit their sites below and give them some love!