Unwelcome Matt is here!

I'm so pleased to share my latest book, Unwelcome Matt, released on August 25. It's a contemporary mystery set in central North Carolina, like my other two mysteries, Got Trouble and What Grows From the Dead. It's available in ebook and paperback (universal link here for non-US customers).

It's such a thrill to see a book you've written become a real object in the world. Here's my first copy on my dining room table.

Here's a quick summary:

Amy Galanis thinks her worst problem is a messy freeloading housemate, Matt. That's until she comes home and finds a dead stranger in the living room and Matt vanished with no trace. As the police investigate, and as shady figures from her housemate's past start to appear, Amy becomes a target in all the wrong ways. Her quiet life as a librarian descends into chaos, forcing one question to the top: what in blazes was Matt up to, and why do so many people want Amy out of the picture?

Content warnings: Occasional profanity; a few incidents of gun violence.

I really hope you enjoy it! It has twists, peril, secrets, danger, librarianship, and a plucky heroine who won't give up despite the host of bad guys arrayed against her.

Note: The links above are Amazon Associate links, so if you buy through them, I'll earn a small commission in addition to my normal royalties.

New story coming soon!

I have a story in an upcoming military sci-fi anthology, The Expanding Universe: Volume 11. This is part of a long-running sci fi series hosted by Craig Martelle, a well-known sci fi author and indie publishing guru and advocate. My story is about a space marine special forces operative who's behind enemy lines with her local Etascan spotter when she gets orders from command that the humans are pulling out of the Etascan civil war. They have to figure out what to do and how to extricate themselves, and she really doesn't want to let down her partner and friend.

There are 26 stories, some of them by big names in the indie sci fi community. The book releases in ebook and paperback on September 15. It will be free for Kindle Unlimited users for the first three months. I hope you'll have a look!

Writing update

I'm working hard on Best, my romance novel project with fellow author and friend Sarah Estow. We're at 53,000 words out of a probable 80,000 in the first draft, and things are getting complex as shady shenanigans threaten Flora and Mark. It's really fun to write with a partner (she's far, far more organized than I am), and it's also a lot of fun to try a new genre.

I took this week off writing for the Unwelcome Matt release, but I'm going to dive in next week on something new, probably another Inquisitors' Guild novel. I've also got an idea for a new board game design, and I spent an hour or two trying to hash out how that might work.

Some stories to try

I'm part of several author collectives, and we share each other's work to try to help all of us reach more readers. In many cases, the books we share are are free or discounted. Sometimes, they ask that you sign up for a newsletter like this one. Here are some new books I have to share this month:

First, I have Murder at High Sea by Karen McSpade. This is a murder mystery starring an all-girl 1980's southern rock band (high C - get it? get it?) who loses a crew member while headlining on a cruise ship and has to investigate to clear their names. If that's not a killer premise, I don't know what is.

Next, I have Burning Oath by Rowan Ashborne. This is a fantasy story about an outcast fire mage, raised by enemies of his empire, who has to fight against the people who raised him and later sent him into exile.

Next, I have Final Orbit, a short story by Adeena Mignogna about an astronaut who volunteers to guide the failing international space station to a crash landing that won't hurt anyone.

Next, I have The Midnight Society: Whisper of Phantom Hollow by Orion Blake. This is the fourth of his series of supernatural adventure novels. This one's only $0.99.

Finally, here's a set of 23 indie sci-fi and fantasy audiobooks. If you're an audio reader, there's sure to be something here that's of interest.

Thanks

Thanks so much for signing up for my newsletter. I hope you'll give Unwelcome Matt a try, particularly if you liked What Grows From the Dead or Got Trouble - it's a kindred spirit to those earlier books.

May the Bloodmother watch over you - 

Dave