Have You Ever Gushed About A Book? 😮
Aug 30, 2022 3:01 pm
Well, now that we've made it through 7 newsletters from a batch of side characters, you're stuck with hearing from weirdo me, C.L. Carhart Herself. Apologies to those who'd rather hear from my characters. Personally I have an urge to slug Prince Otto, but . . . I suppose my views are slightly biased.
In Augustin's favor. 😜
Why Is This Newsletter 1 Day Early???
If you happen to live in Australia or somewhere else on the early side of the International Date Line, you've likely rolled your eyes every time my newsletters drop in your inbox. "She says they're coming on Wednesday. But it's Thursday."
Yep. I know. But this one's here on Wednesday.
Tuesday for all of us late bloomers in Europe and the Americas.
The reason?
I'm going to see Rammstein live in Philadelphia, PA on Wednesday night. That means this silly metalhead author who lives in SC has a darn long drive to take on Tuesday (11 hrs or thereabouts). Then I'll have to drive back.
Thank goodness I've got a parental abode to crash at once I reach the Jersey side of the Delaware River. 😉 And thank goodness my husband's coming with me, so I don't have to drive the entire thing by myself.
Also, THANK GOODNESS FOR WAWA.
I'm going to stuff myself with hoagies during this short adventure.
I suppose I'll have to give some feedback on the concert in my next newsletter, but be forewarned that broke me purchased seats waaaaaay up high in the stadium. So that means the stage will doubtless resemble a fingernail.
But concerts are about the music, not the visuals, am I right?
Have YOU been to any concerts this year, now that things are finally starting to settle? Tell me about them! I'm always looking for more music to discover. 🎶
Writing Updates
Since I've promised to be honest with you, I need to admit that I haven't been writing much since I finished Numinous Fortune at the end of May. 😣 Truth to be told, by the time I reached the last book (Book 6) in my His Name Was Augustin series, I'd gotten incredibly behind. And a tad burnt out.
So I took a break for the majority of the summer. During this break, I've been focusing on craft & marketing, with the hopes of making sure my next series (plural!) will lure more and more readers into the Teutonic Fantasy Realm.
Some of you joined my newsletter earlier this year when you downloaded the Fates & Mates anthology from BookFunnel. Those who did might remember the short story I wrote for that anthology. Titled Zephyrs of Destiny, it followed the sweet love story of Ilsa, an airy Teuton witch, and Horst, a fiery priest. 🔥
Those of you who read Zephyrs of Destiny likely noticed that it was "clean."
It had no sex scenes.
Well.
That's about to change. 😱
During the past couple weeks, I've been revamping Zephyrs of Destiny, adding some fresh tension & a nice spicy chapter—Chapter 7, to be exact. Now the story is novella-length, and I've re-titled it as Gift of Air. You can get it alongside a bunch of other much spicier tales in the Lunar Rising anthology!
Did I mention Lunar Rising has a fresh new cover? And did I mention that the girl on this new cover almost looks exactly how I picture Ilsa? 💖
Take a peek at the graphic, and then read on to learn how Ilsa met Horst.
Snippet From Gift of Air
“My Lady Ilsa von Kaenel, it is an honor to make your acquaintance.”
Horst’s smooth voice carried hints of honest interest, as though he was impressed with me already, having seen me for three seconds at most. I paused at the bottom step and met his gaze; we were on level ground now, but he stood one stair step taller than me. The smile had not left his lips, and I realized that I needed to respond. Where were my manners? My thoughts whirled in a hurricane of unforeseen attraction.
He had called me my Lady. It was a Teutonic term, one usually reserved for a city’s female representative. I had never once imagined hearing that word applied to me, a woman born and raised far afield from the nearest official Teuton city, Innsbruck. His choice of greeting crumbled any defenses I might have thought to build. I smiled back and said, “The pleasure is mine, Herr Vorbach.”
I offered him my right hand, and he took it in his left and raised it to his lips, his cerulean eyes never leaving mine. “You need not stand on ceremony. Call me Horst,” he requested.
When our skin met, my air sensed his element simmering deep within his blood—he was fire. But what color of fire? There’s yellow, red, blue, black, and natural orange.
“Thank you, Horst. Please do the same. I’m Ilsa.” I hardly knew what I said as I stepped down and moved to stand beside him. My air tried to surreptitiously test his spirit, to detect what type of fire he wielded. We had not broken eye contact yet, and part of me felt like he could see deep inside of me, see all of the turmoil that had burdened me since my sister's death.
My father gave a distinct cough and declared that it was high time to move to the dining room, for the smell of roasted venison tantalized his nose. I had nearly forgotten his presence. Blinking rapidly, I shifted my gaze away from this compelling Teuton priest who had expressed an interest in me. He hardly matched my mental images of Teuton priests; his gray suit would look appropriate at a formal gathering. Horst made a casual remark about the meal, answering my father’s intrusion, and then we followed the older men toward the dining room.
My companion had not yet released my right hand, though he held it lightly. The warmth of his fire enticed me, after long winters in a war-torn land.
“Your air is vibrant and expressive,” Horst said in an offhand tone as we progressed down the hallway toward the dining room.
A soft gasp escaped my lips, and I turned my head to look at him. “You can sense it?”
“You’re hardly subtle about it,” he confided with a wink, his eyes shining. “And fire has an affinity for air, you realize.”
My eyebrows came together, and I pulled my hand away from his. “Fire can’t sustain itself without oxygen,” I heard myself saying, my element refreshing my blood as I spoke.
Horst’s expression implied that he detected every trace of my magic, all of its minute workings. “You want to test that theory?” he asked, turning his left palm upward. A fist-sized flame appeared above his skin, its hues matching those of a campfire. Natural fire.
He grinned, and amusement took hold of me. “Not in the house. Put that out!” I waved a hand at him as we entered the dining room. He snickered, and the flame evaporated.
***
Curious to see where this goes? Grab YOUR copy of Lunar Rising while it's still on preorder for only 99¢! This deal won't last—get it today!
Last Chance For Fantastic Romances
I shared this BookFunnel promo earlier this month, but practically nobody clicked on it. 😑 Therefore, I'm sharing it again, and I'll advise you to take a peek if only to ruminate on the Once Upon A Forbidden Desire anthology. I literally just clicked on that one & saw that it's available on Smashwords. Victory! Looks like I've lucked out with another great collection for only 99¢. 🙌
Check out a whole slew of eBooks before the end of the month!
Book Gush October
One of my fellow indie authors is putting together an amazing event for readers who are ACTIVE on social media. I've tossed 3 paperback copies of my most recent novel—Numinous Fortune—into the pot, and a bunch of other indies are participating, too. Check out the info below, and if you'd like to GUSH about some spectacular-but-unknown books, please fill out the form!
Are you active online? Are you constantly looking for new books to fall in love with? If so, welcome to 🎃 BOOK GUSH OCTOBER! 🎃
Over 100 authors are looking to send out print book packages to those active on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, to help spread the word about books you might not know, with stories you are dying to read! ALL GENRES except children’s books will be available!
How do you get in on this? FILL THIS OUT:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKllWjFWK2f5_4H8CPj5uT878zGrhfqEd5PVwHX1Ck6l-ZXA/viewform
This form is open ONLY until the 1st of September.
In September, authors involved will be picking their recipient and sending a package to them!
Participating readers MUST post Videos, Lives, or Reels for the ‘unboxing’ of the book, and a gush post during the read or after. THIS IS NOT A REVIEW REQUEST. We don’t want your review, we want your influence—your post about the book you receive.
I'd better get my butt in the chair so I can finish polishing Gift of Air. I have to turn in the manuscript before I strike out for Philadelphia TONIGHT. Yikes! 😱
Don't forget to tell me all about the concerts you've seen this year. Or just send me some music recommendations. Once I'm done with Gift of Air, I have to dive into the first book of my next series . . . and my writing muse tends to flow much more steadily with background music. Send me all your recs! 💖
Talk to you soon,
C.L. Carhart
Grab Arcane Gateway for FREE: https://books2read.com/hnwaag
Preorder Lunar Rising for only 99¢: https://books2read.com/lunarrisingset
Book Gush October signup for people active on social media:
This week's book list: