Day #5 – Nine Days of Giveaways

November 14, 2012 /

To celebrate the last book in the series, MAGIC FOR A PRICE, coming out November 6th, I am doing nine straight days of giveaways!  Each day I’ll talk about one of the books in the series, will post cut scenes (if I have them), will answer questions (if you have them)  and will give away three prizes!

Day #1 winners can be found here. ** Day #2 winners can be found here

Day #3 winners can be found here

Day #4 winners!

ARC of Magic on the Storm* goes to…

MightiMidget, who said: This series sounds like a lot of fun. :) It’s on my list of things to pick up soon!

Signed cover flat of Magic on the Storm* goes to…

Sharon Dyer, who said: Love all these giveaways you are doing! You’re fantastic!

Signed copy of Magic for a Price goes to…

Spav, who said: More Shame is always good news.
*Correction: I accidentally said Magic in the Shadows, book 3, when these winners are actually getting Magic on the Storm, book 4 prizes. Sorry for the confusion!
Winners, please contact me with your name and mailing address by clicking on the little envelope button on the upper right of this page.  Congrats!

Today’s book is book #5…

Her heart stopped beating, didn’t it?

One of the great things about having a title “style” for a series is that readers can quickly recognize that the books all belong together. This is especially good when there are several books out there with similar anchor words in the title. For instance, the fabulous Ilona Andrews were writing their “Magic” urban fantasy books at the same time I was writing my “Magic” books. It’s important for our titles (and all the other “Magic” book titles) to be distinct enough that a reader is never confused as to which book belongs in which series. –Oh, and if you haven’t read the Andrews’ Kate Daniels series, you are missing out on truly excellent urban fantasy. Go! Try it! Read it! Love it! You won’t be sorry!–

Anyway, my series has this great three-beat title thing going: Magic somethingsomething Thing! Other than book 1, this book was the most difficult to title in that style. I was leaning toward Death or Dead or Grave, (and you people who suggested other things like Magic up the Wazoo” –I’m looking at you, Deb–you were *so* helpful. 😉  ) but none of those words seemed to work.  My editor finally chose Magic at the Gate from the list of suggestions I sent her, and I think it works quite nicely.

Why So Muddle, Middle?

Lora asked me a question in the comment section yesterday that I’d like to touch on here: “At what point did you know how you wanted the series to end? And how did you choose to write 9 books (as opposed to any other number)?”

I knew how I wanted the series to end the moment I finished the first book.  Don’t get me wrong–I love series that go on forever.  But even more, I love a series that tackles a big question or mystery and then works it out over several books. I’m the same way with TV series. I like the “monster of the week” shows, as I like to call them, where our heroes get in a tussle with a bad guy who is defeated and wrapped up in a nice bow by the end, ensuring our hero can start fresh on a new little adventure with a new little bad guy next week.  But series that do that AND also carry a longer story line, a larger mystery, a bigger question, a darker danger which must also be solved makes me even happier.  I don’t like endings, really.  But I love the satisfaction of feeling like I got to experience a WHOLE story, not one that dragged on, petered out, and faded away.

Why 9 books? In my head they are three trilogies. Book 1-2-3, Book 4-5-6, Book 7-8-9.  Each has a beginning, middle, end. Each has a “little” bad guy (monster of the week).  And each serve to explore the bigger question, the bigger mystery, the REAL conflict and danger.

That being said, book 5 is squarely the middle of the series. It had to act as both a wrap-up book for the first 4 books, and a set-up book for the next 4 books. I see it as a “hinge” where halfway through, the stakes are raised for the book and for the series. One reviewer (yes, I do sometimes read reviews) said it felt like two books stitched together into one.  I think that’s a pretty fair assessment, and also proves that I have smart readers!

Being the mid-point in the series made it really challenging to write.  But it’s also a book where Allie and Shame get to shine, which made it a lot of fun.

Sacrifice Sucks

You use magic, it uses you back. That’s one of the basic themes of the books and the world Allie lives in.  Still, I received several emails from readers who did not like that Allie had to give something up in order to save Zayvion. And even though it was a big sacrifice, I think Allie would do it a hundred times over to save the man she loves.  We get to see how that sacrifice REALLY turns out in book 9, and I hope it feels like a satisfying conclusion. 🙂

With Our Bright Evil Faces

We are introduced to one of the biggest bad guys in this book, someone who will break all the rules to get their way, someone who has powers that frighten even Allie’s father.  I knew this character had to arrive in this book and had done the basic research for the character back in book 1 or 2, but this was the book where I worked out all the details for this big baddy.

Cut Scenes – Two bits from the cutting room floor…

What if Davy had been there when Allie walked out of Death instead of Detective Stotts…

“It’s a mistake. I have to get him to the inn. Vancouver. Maeve’s place.”

“I know where it is.” Davy frowned. Looked over at Stone, who wasn’t moving much. Looked back at me.

“Can you walk?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know how we’re going to carry that.”

“He’ll walk.”

Davy flashed me a quick smile. “Of course he will. And I just bought a pound of flying bacon this morning.”

I gave him the dirtiest look I could manage, and held my hand out for him. Davy took my hand, and did more than me to get me standing. I locked my knees.

“Shit,” I whispered. There was a ringing in my ears, and it had nothing to do with my dead dad in my head. I was very close to passing out.

Davy tightened his grip on me, his arm around my waist, my arm over his shoulder. “I’m not seeing a lot of walking going on,” he said.

I lifted my foot, put it in front of me. Did the same with the next foot.

“Think you can make it to the car?”

I didn’t waste time answering.

Davy stiffened. “Son of a bitch.”

I didn’t know what was happening. Davy stopped, so I did too. Stone trotted up next to me, and made a raspy sound. He grumbled like a bag of rocks, then cooed louder, like he had just figured out how to make that noise. He swiveled his head to look up at Davy and me, cooed again victoriously, then trotted off toward the parking lot.

“How you like your bacon now?” I mumbled.

The Unsung Pun…

“How do you feel?” I asked Zay.

“Like death warmed over.”

I groaned.

“Too soon?”

“For that pun? Yes.” I leaned down, kissed him gently on his lips, which tasted slightly salty from his sweat. “I’ll see you soon, Hero.”

“Don’t do anything I would,” he said.

“How about I just promise to be careful?” I glanced up at the doctor. She didn’t look concerned. As a matter of fact, she looked the most relaxed I’d seen her in days. That was a good sign.

I picked up my coat off the foot of the other bed and left the room before putting it on. If I looked over at Zay again, I don’t think I’d be able to leave the room. Everything inside of me wanted to stay.

But I know exactly what Zayvion would do in my place. He’d go out and take down the bad guys.

AND NOW THE GIVEAWAYS!!

You can win one of these prizes! Leave a comment here on my blog and you’re in the running.  You’ll need to leave a comment on tomorrow’s post if you want to be in the drawing for tomorrow’s prizes.

Today’s prizes:

1 – signed cover flat of MAGIC AT THE GATE 

1- signed ARC of MAGIC AT THE GATE (no pretty cover)

1- signed copy of MAGIC FOR A PRICE

I will mail internationally.  I will pull winners TOMORROW–Thursday, November 15th. If any of the winners fail to contact me within a week’s time, I will redraw names or hold a one-day post where all unclaimed prizes go to whoever asks for them first.

53 Comments

  • Deborah Blake
    November 14, 2012 at 10:20 am

    This was one of my favorites too. And I loved/hated the sacrifice…and definitely think she had to make it.

    Sorta like you have to sacrifice a copy of Magic for a Price to me (even though I wasn’t the Deb who was clever enough to come up with “Magic up the Wazoo). 🙂

  • Corrie
    November 14, 2012 at 10:39 am

    I have really enjoyed this series, the various characters and how they grow, as well as all the bad guys and how the good guys beat up on them – or are beat up by them…either way:)

  • miki
    November 14, 2012 at 10:39 am

    it’s my favorite cover so far ^^
    thank you a lot for sharing so much with us

    ( and yes! i’m still hoping to win magic for a price)

  • Veronica foster
    November 14, 2012 at 10:58 am

    This was also one of my fav. covers! I liked she gave up some of her magic for zay. It showed how much she loved him zay and needed him with her. I can’t wait to read the last book to find out more about what she gave up!

  • Bethany
    November 14, 2012 at 11:01 am

    My copies of the older Allie books are looking a bit tatty now, I think to celebrate the final book in the series I should buy myself some new copies to go with my old ones! Yay

  • Jason B.
    November 14, 2012 at 11:03 am

    Personally, I have come to prefer the series that has a defined ending point. Too many TV shows that I’ve loved in the beginning become such shells of themselves by the end of a 9 year run… where they would have been much better off going out strong after 5 or 6, under their own terms.

    But I also enjoy it when we find ourselves with a spin-off series to keep the spirit of the original alive. And I think this has tended to work out better for books than for TV… so I’m all prepared for The Breaker series to keep me reading 🙂

  • sandyg265
    November 14, 2012 at 11:05 am

    I’m glad you have an endpoint for your series. I like a story that wraps up rather than a never ending series.

  • AYates
    November 14, 2012 at 11:06 am

    If I remember correctly Allie’s “sacrifice” is in the shape of a rose. What was the inspiration for it looking like that, or was it just a random decision?

  • Celeste
    November 14, 2012 at 11:58 am

    Hey i was hoping i could get one of the giveaways <3 haven't been able to splurge on books lately and would love it! 🙂 thank you so much… AND i was wondering if your going to do another fantasy series with a female lead now that ur finished?

  • Alison C. Smith
    November 14, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    Looking so forward to reading …for a Price but have yet to find in in the store, and don’t live near a big book store. Should have pre-ordered. C’est la vie!
    A signed anything would be an awesome addition to my collection of your books! Thanks

  • Sue ward
    November 14, 2012 at 12:34 pm

    Magic magic magic, I’ve had book 9 since it’s release but even tho i read all 8 books in a week and have desperately waited months for book 9 and as much as I want to know what happens……. I can’t yet bring myself to start reading it, knowing its the last !

  • Melliane
    November 14, 2012 at 12:45 pm

    I agree Magic at the gate was a great name! I wouldn’t have thought it was like 3 trilogies, but now I think it’s an interesting idea. I want to re reaed them to see if I can feel it knowing that.

  • Alaina
    November 14, 2012 at 1:05 pm

    I have to confess, I do prefer a series with a set finish.. Dont get me wrong, there are some series i read that have 30-50 books (JD RObb), and those i LOVE.. others.. after the first 10-15 books i get tired of em (Christine Feehan, SHerrilyn Kenyon).. I think its awesome that you have an ending in mind!

  • Poppy
    November 14, 2012 at 1:07 pm

    I’m really going to need to reread this whole series soon! Loved all so much…haven’t read the last one yet though. I’m waiting until NaNoWriMo is done.

  • Maria
    November 14, 2012 at 1:23 pm

    Love finding out extra snippets about the previous books – it means I’ll have to re-read them to refresh my memory on those points (like the who the big bad from book 5 was)! Can’t wait to read the last book either, and all of those tantalising tidbits are just whetting my apetite even more. It hasn’t come out here in Australia yet, and ordering off the internet won’t arrive in time (unlike the last couple of books! I just couldn’t wait for the 8th to come out locally in the book shops). Patience never was one of my virtues….. **sigh**

  • Cori Maier
    November 14, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    Love the series. I am in the process of reading book 9. I was at a book store on vacation and discovered the series when book 6 Magic on the Hunt came out. Read all 6 books on that vacation.

  • Miranda
    November 14, 2012 at 2:07 pm

    I can’t wait to read Magic for a Price! Reading all these snippets and cuts just makes me even more excited! 🙂

  • Sarah West
    November 14, 2012 at 2:50 pm

    I thought magic requiring sacrifice made a lot of sense. Even though it does suck when you see Allie having to make tough choices.

  • Sharon Dyer
    November 14, 2012 at 3:30 pm

    You know, it’s fun to read all of the “cut scenes”, I’d love reading these even if you didn’t have the giveaways tied into them. It feels like you’re getting a little behind the scenes “Making of” extra that you get on your favorite dvds!

  • Sally
    November 14, 2012 at 4:10 pm

    You touched on this here. We know Allie pays for her use of magic by loss of memory, as well as the common pain it induces in what I like to think of as a magic hangover, but how do the other magic users pay for their magic use?
    It may be you’ve mentioned this in the books and I’ve plain forgotten.

  • Samantha R
    November 14, 2012 at 4:23 pm

    Really enjoying the insights into the books – can’t wait to read Magic for a Price (saving ti for my holiday!).

  • Atzimba
    November 14, 2012 at 7:13 pm

    I like the idea that there were mini series within the series. That makes me want to go back and reread everything with a more discerning eye. I must admit I love the fast pace of each novel and the plot twists! I didn’t like the sacrifice Allie had to make but I understand why she did. I haven’t read the final book yet but I’m dying to!

  • Lora
    November 14, 2012 at 10:31 pm

    Wow! Thanks for answering my question! Now I need to find time to reread all of these books and see if I can notice all the things you’re sharing about them!

  • Rose
    November 15, 2012 at 1:08 am

    I’ve always wondered who exactly is on the book cover? Did you get much say about how they looked or was that totally out of your hands? I personally love their look.

  • Mishel
    November 15, 2012 at 4:54 am

    I tried commenting earlier but I think the webpage was malfunctioning.
    As other commenters have already mentioned, I find it interesting that every three books makes up a ‘mini-trilogy’. I need to go back and reread all the books and see if I notice this while reading.
    Thanks for the chance to win!

  • Cathy C
    November 20, 2012 at 10:27 pm

    I just finished Magic for a Price and I thought it was a wonderful conclusion to this fabulous series. I have been reading about Allie since you started the series and what a wonderful journey it has been. Kudos. Great imagination, plots, and wonderful resolution of all the outstanding questions. I will miss Allie but am satisfied that she is in a better place. Thanks for this wonderful series. I truly enjoyed it!

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