Times Change (Joe Mack Shadow Council Files Book 5) by Gail Z. & Larry N. Martin + giveaway

Joe Mack is back, solving cold cases that eluded Eliot Ness and kicking demon butt.

Times Change (Joe Mack Shadow Council Files Book 5)
by Gail Z. & Larry N. Martin
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Roaring 20's Monster Hunter
Joe Mack is back, solving cold cases that eluded Eliot Ness and kicking demon butt.

Josef Magarac was a brave man, a strong man, a hard-working immigrant who only wanted a better life for his family. Then he was murdered, and an ancient Slavic god brought him back to life, gave him new abilities, and a mission to protect those who can’t protect themselves. Now he's Joe Mack, immortal thanks to the Slavic god, and a champion against dark magic, demons, and things that go bump in the night.

Joe's previous collection of adventures spanned the Roaring Twenties and Prohibition. Now he's in the modern era, working with new partners and adjusting to a whole new century. But old cases have resurfaced, and demons never die. A supernatural serial killer has returned, and some of the evil Joe thought was done and dusted has returned to wreak havoc. It will take all of the supernatural abilities, wit, and will of Joe and his partners—past and present—to stop the dark forces once and for all. If they fail, it will unleash a wave of demonic vengeance, blood, and death unlike anything Cleveland has ever seen.

Times Change is a non-stop thrill ride full of paranormal action, found family, dark magic, and loyal friends. 

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Forged (The Joe Mack Adventures Volume 1)
When you ask a god for favors, be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.

From the bloody steel mill strikes of Pennsylvania rose a true man of steel, a steelworker transformed into something more by the power of the old gods. Josef Magarac was a brave man, a strong man, a hard-working immigrant who only wanted a better life for his family. Then he was murdered, and an ancient Slavic god brought him back to life, gave him new abilities, and a mission to protect those who can’t protect themselves.

Now he’s Joe Mack, and together with his allies, Secret Service agent Jack West and heiress Sarah Grace McAllen Harringworth, he handles the hard cases the regular feds won’t touch like magic-wielding mobsters, Lovecraftian monsters, and secret supernatural societies.

The Joe Mack Adventures: Volume One is a non-stop thrill ride full of paranormal action, found family, dark magic, and loyal friends.

This is a collection of four books in the Joe Mack Shadow Council Files by award-winning author team Gail Z. & Larry N. Martin, authors of the Spells, Salt, & Steel and the Wasteland Marshals series. The Shadow Council Case Files are historical fantasy novellas set in the world of Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter, that tell the true stories behind the tall tales surrounding some of the world’s most famous (and infamous) folk heroes.

This collection includes Cauldron, Black Sun, Chicagoland, and Spellbound.

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About the Authors 
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Gail Z. Martin writes urban fantasy, epic fantasy, steampunk and more for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, Falstaff Books, SOL Publishing and Darkwind Press. Urban fantasy series include Deadly Curiosities and the Night Vigil (Sons of Darkness). Epic fantasy series include Darkhurst, the Chronicles Of The Necromancer, the Fallen Kings Cycle, the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, and the Assassins of Landria.

Together with Larry N. Martin, she is the co-author of Iron & Blood, Storm & Fury (both Steampunk/alternate history), the Spells Salt and Steel comedic horror series, the Roaring Twenties monster hunter Joe Mack Shadow Council series, and the Wasteland Marshals near-future post-apocalyptic series. As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance, with the Witchbane, Badlands, Treasure Trail, Kings of the Mountain and Fox Hollow series. Gail is also a con-runner for ConTinual, the online, ongoing multi-genre convention that never ends.

Larry N. Martin is the author of the new sci-fi adventure novel Salvage Rat, and the new portal fantasy series, The Splintered Crown, A Tankards and Heroes novel. He is the co-author (with Gail Z. Martin) of the Spells, Salt, and Steel: New Templar Knights series; the Steampunk series Iron & Blood; and a collection of short stories and novellas: The Storm & Fury Adventures set in the Iron & Blood universe. He is also the co-author (with Gail) of the Wasteland Marshals series and the Joe Mack - Shadow Council series from Falstaff Books.

The Martins have three children, a Maltese, and a Golden Retriever.

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Sunken treasure, haunted shipwrecks, experimental technology, and steam-powered adventure! + giveaway

Sunken treasure, haunted shipwrecks, experimental technology, and steam-powered adventure!

Iron & Blood (A Jake Desmet Adventure Book 1)
by Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin
Genre: Supernatural Steampunk Adventure
Hell with the lid off.

Jake Desmet and Rick Brand, heirs to the Brand & Desmet Import Company, travel the world to secure treasures and unusual items for the collections of wealthy and supernatural patrons, accompanied by Jake’s cousin, Veronique “Nicki” LeClercq. Smuggling a small package as a favor for a Polish witch should have been easy. But when assassins come after Jake and a Ripper-style killer leaves the city awash in blood, Jake, Rick, and Nicki realize that dark magic, vampire power struggles, and industrial sabotage are just a prelude to a bigger plot that threatens New Pittsburgh and the world.

New Pittsburgh in 1898 is a crucible of invention and intrigue, the hub of American industry at the height of its steam-driven power. Born from the ashes of devastating fire, flood, and earthquake, New Pittsburgh is ruled by the shadow government of The Oligarchy. In the abandoned mine tunnels beneath the city, supernatural creatures hide from the light, emerging to feed in the smoky city known as “hell with the lid off” while their masters scheme to change the balance of power.

Stopping that scheme will require every ounce of Jake’s courage, every bit of Rick’s cunning, every scintilla of Nicki’s bravura, and all the steam-powered innovation imaginable.

Iron & Blood is a steampunk action adventure filled with daring escapades, armed airships, vengeful vampires, mysterious magic, found family, mad doctors, quirky inventors, clockwork zombies, and loyal friends.

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Spark of Destiny (Jake Desmet Adventure Book 2)
**Coming Soon! **
Watch for it on the Authors' Website!

 

Storm & Fury (A Storm & Fury Adventures Collection)
New Pittsburgh, 1898 – a crucible of invention and intrigue. Born from the ashes of devastating fire, flood and earthquake, the city is ruled by the shadow government of The Oligarchy. In the swarming streets, people of a hundred nations drudge to feed the engines of progress. The Department of Supernatural Investigation was set up to take care of those things that live below, that go bump in the night… those odd cases that go beyond ‘standard’ investigation. Nicknamed ‘Storm and Fury’, Mitch Storm and Jacob Drangosavich are two of the more creative agents, working in New Pittsburgh and obeying the rules – when they have to.

A collection of short stories and novellas set in the world of the Iron & Blood novels and the related Storm and Fury Adventures.

Includes: Airship Down, Ruin Creek, Resurrection Day, The Hunt, Grave Voices, and Rogue. Plus two bonus stories: Ghost Wolf and a Steampunk fairy tale: The Patented Troll

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Peacemaker (Sharps & Springfield Book 1)
by Morgan Brice (aka Gail Z. Martin)
Secret agents, forbidden love, danger, and magic!

Supernatural Secret Service agents Owen Sharps and Calvin Springfield meet on the train to their new assignment in St. Louis, and sparks fly between them. But it's 1897, and they need to be very careful—falling in love can be dangerous for men like them.

It's their first case together, investigating mysterious disappearances—including the two agents who preceded them. Grim evidence leads them to look for a darker purpose. Old ghosts haunt the railroad line, zombie rise, signs point to ritual sacrifice, and they suspect someone is trying to open the gates of hell.

Can Calvin and Owen stop the mayhem, thwart the vampires, and find true love, or will everything go up in smoke?

Peacemaker is a high-stakes steampunk MM romance thrill ride filled with found family, paranormal Pinkertons, intrepid reporters, mysterious disappearances, nefarious land brokers, hellhounds, zombies, vengeful spirits, dark spells, absinthe magic, a ruthless vampire railroad baron and a love that won't be denied.

Before Colt and Winchester, there was Sharps & Springfield!

Peacemaker is the first book in the new Sharps & Springfield series.

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About the Authors:

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Gail Z. Martin discovered her passion for science fiction, fantasy and ghost stories in elementary school. The first story she wrote at age five was about a vampire. Her favorite TV show as a preschooler was Dark Shadows. At age 14, she decided to become a writer. She enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites.

Larry N. Martin is the author of the new sci-fi adventure novel Salvage Rat. He is the co-author (with Gail Z. Martin) of the Spells, Salt, and Steel/New Templars series; the Steampunk series Iron & Blood; and a collection of short stories and novellas: The Storm & Fury Adventures set in the Iron & Blood universe. He is also the co-author of the upcoming Wasteland Marshals series and the Joe Mack Cauldron/Secret Council series.

The Martins have three children, a Maltese, and a Golden Retriever.

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Spellbound (Joe Mack Shadow Council Files Book 4) by Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin + giveaway

Spellbound (Joe Mack Shadow Council Files Book 4)
by Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin
Dev 29, 2022
Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy
Werewolves, Vamps, and Thieves!

Joe Mack and his friends head to Pittsburgh to deal with a surge of disappearances, all people with psychic abilities going missing under highly questionable supernatural circumstances. That’s enough to keep anyone hopping, but Joe can’t ignore the feeling that there’s something even bigger going on behind the scenes.

Joe, West, and Sarah Grace team up with new allies to fight a whole new level of danger—and uncover the secrets behind why people with special abilities are vanishing and who’s taking them. What they learn could change the paranormal balance of power—permanently. It’s their job to keep the worst from happening, whatever it takes.

From the steel mills to the coal mines, Joe Magarac is the man to call for supernatural problems. After all, he does have a little help from Krukis, the god of blacksmiths, but immortality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Magarac left his old life behind him and now lives as Joe Mack, a literal man of steel and magic.

Spellbound is full of paranormal adventure, murdering mediums, creepy circuses, a theater full of vampires, malicious mesmerists, found family, secret supernatural agencies, dark magic, and loyal friends.

It’s the fourth in the Joe Mack series of Shadow Council Archives from Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin, the duo that brought you Spells, Salt, & Steel. The Shadow Council Archives are urban fantasy novellas set in the universe of Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter and featuring folk heroes throughout history.

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Chicagoland (Joe Mack Shadow Council Files Book 3)

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Black Sun (Joe Mack Shadow Council Files Book 2)

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Cauldron (Joe Mack Shadow Council Files Book 1)

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About the Authors

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Gail Z. Martin discovered her passion for science fiction, fantasy and ghost stories in elementary school. The first story she wrote at age five was about a vampire. Her favorite TV show as a preschooler was Dark Shadows. At age 14, she decided to become a writer. She enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites.

Larry N. Martin is the author of the new sci-fi adventure novel Salvage Rat. He is the co-author (with Gail Z. Martin) of the Spells, Salt, and Steel/New Templars series; the Steampunk series Iron & Blood; and a collection of short stories and novellas: The Storm & Fury Adventures set in the Iron & Blood universe. He is also the co-author of the upcoming Wasteland Marshals series and the Joe Mack Cauldron/Secret Council series.
​
The Martins have three children, a Maltese, and a Golden Retriever.

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Urban Fantasy Author Gail Z. Martin talks Vampires, Werewolves, and Casinos

Vampires, Werewolves, and Casinos

By Gail Z. Martin

Our newest Spells, Salt and Steel book House of Cards takes mechanic/monster hunter Mark Wojcik into new territory, busting an illicit casino and cryptid fight club run by supernatural bosses. Of course there’s more to the problem than underground betting, and that puts Mark and his friends up to their asses in alligators as they sort out the web of dangerous dealings.

This is the eighth Mark Wojcik book (co-written with Larry N. Martin), and along the way we’ve gotten to see Mark and his companions grow and change as individuals even as they also gain new fighting skills, paranormal abilities, and supernatural allies. We’ve also explored plenty of Pennsylvania urban legends, ghost stories and lore from the part of the state where Larry and I grew up. We never run out of weird, spooky stuff to stoke the next story!

We’ve signed a contract with Falstaff Books for Season 3–four more novellas of action-packed paranormal adventure with plenty of snarky humor, so stay tuned!

House of Cards (Spells, Salt, Steel Book 8)

by Gail Z. Martin, Larry N. Martin 

July 17, 2022

115 pages

Genre: paranormal, urban fantasy, comedy/horror

Gotta know when to fake ‘em, know when to stake them, know when to burn it down—and know when to let all hell break loose.

Some days, mechanic and monster hunter Mark Wojcik thinks that if it weren’t for bad luck, he’d have no luck at all.

His corner of rural Pennsylvania used to be relatively quiet—except for the ghosts, trolls, gnomes, and snallygasters. But when people start disappearing and bodies pile up, Mark and his friends realize that big city problems have come to town, with deadly consequences.

Necromancer narcos, a monster trafficking ring, and mafia witches would give anyone heartburn. It’s just Mark’s luck they all converge in his territory, along with an underground cryptid fight club and a secret casino catering to witches, werewolves, and the unwary.

The fight gets personal when Mark’s friends go missing, and all bets are off when he and Father Leo bring in a ringer to even the odds.

They say the house always wins. Mark’s betting the farm that he and his friends can save the day. He’s got a couple of cards up his sleeve—but unless luck and magic go his way, they might turn out to be aces and eights.

The eighth book in the Spells, Salt, & Steel series brings Season Two to a close in explosive fashion!

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About the Authors:

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Gail Z. Martin writes urban fantasy, epic fantasy, steampunk and more for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, Falstaff Books, SOL Publishing and Darkwind Press. Urban fantasy series include Deadly Curiosities and the Night Vigil (Sons of Darkness). Epic fantasy series include Darkhurst, the Chronicles Of The Necromancer, the Fallen Kings Cycle, the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, and the Assassins of Landria.

Together with Larry N. Martin, she is the co-author of Iron & Blood, Storm & Fury (both Steampunk/alternate history), the Spells Salt and Steel comedic horror series, the Joe Mack Shadow Council series, and the Wasteland Marshals near-future post-apocalyptic series. As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance, with the Witchbane, Badlands, Treasure Trail, Kings of the Mountain and Fox Hollow series. Gail is also a con-runner for ConTinual, the online, ongoing multi-genre convention that never ends.

Join our Facebook group, the Shadow Alliance https://www.facebook.com/groups/435812789942761/

Gail’s Supernatural Group is Supernatural TFW-NC: https://www.facebook.com/groups/169524930423807/

And get a free complete short story, Catspaw, here: https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/UAjd6

Welcome to the 2019 Hawthorn Moon Blog Tour + giveaway

Welcome to the 2019 Hawthorn Moon Blog Tour

If you’re looking for some summer reading, you’ve come to the right place! My Hawthorn Moon blog tour is a great time to catch up on the latest titles, find out what’s coming soon, and get a behind-the-scenes peek at the characters and the series. 

Come check out what’s new and have a look at the coming attractions from Gail Z. Martin and Larry N. Martin!

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I Smell Sheep is spotlighting The Splintered Crown, the first in a brand new series by Larry N. Martin because... 

Look. At. That. Cover! Love it!

The Splintered Crown: A Tankards and Heroes Novel

by Larry N. Martin

April 25, 2019

200 pages

A medieval fantasy with a party of adventurers all ready to make a name for themselves and earn some gold.

Tankards and Heroes is set in the city of Kortufan, where spies, assassins, mercenaries, arms dealers, rebels, smugglers, and informants do dirty deals dirt cheap.

The Poxy Dragon is a rough bar outside the worst part of the medieval Silk Road. It takes serious courage just to walk into the place, not only from its reputation but because of the rough clientele, questionable food, awful beer, and abysmal hygiene. Lots of taverns in Kortufan are home to ruffians and illegal dealings, but the Poxy Dragon is the proving ground for heroes - with a cemetery out back for the ones who don’t make the cut.

Lady Leota, the resident demigoddess at the Poxy Dragon, sends would-be heroes to different realms on quests. Once committed, there is no turning back, and if they want their reward, every party member must return through the portal – dead or alive.

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The Splintered Crown
Excerpt One:
“Got any ale that doesn’t taste like donkey piss?”

The stranger’s companion laughed heartily at his friend’s joke and didn’t seem to notice that the regulars at the bar took a step away from them. The bard in the back stopped his song mid-stanza.

“Don’t know what you’re complaining about,” Tom, the bartender, replied. “That’s a step up. Used to taste like donkey’s balls. And before that—”

“Gods and cuttlefish, man! How about your whiskey then? I just want something that doesn’t taste as bad going down as it might coming back up, if you know what I mean,” the stranger said.

He looked like the sort of man who would find his way to the Poxy Dragon tavern—big, tall,
inked, and mean as a wolverine. His shoulder-length dark hair was greasy and tangled, and his long beard had braids and brass beads in it, like that made him a pirate. Tattoos in black and red wound around both arms and peeked from the throat of his tunic. One, a black snake, slithered its way up his bicep. Tom figured that was as good a name as any for the stranger, Snake. Not like it mattered. He wouldn’t be back.

Snake’s buddy stood half a head shorter and maybe twenty pounds lighter, probably his
lookout and lackey, Tom thought. No tattoos. Reddish blond hair and a beard to match, he looked at least a decade younger than Snake. “Red” would do.

“Suit yourself.” Tom poured a glass of the house whiskey and slid it to Snake. He kept his expression unreadable, although if Snake and Red knew what was good for them, they’d have taken note of the way the regulars leaned in to watch but didn’t get any closer.

Snake tossed off the shot and thumped his chest like he’d proven something. Red hooted, as if taking the drink was an accomplishment. Tom and the others waited for the reaction.

Three…two…one….

“What…what…” Snake tried to say something else, but between the way he gasped for air,
lips working like a fish out of water, and the tears running down his face from the potent liquor, he was in too much distress.

“What did you give him?” Red demanded. “You poisoned him!” His face grew as red as his
hair, and he looked as if he intended to go over the bar at Tom.

Tom wasn’t worried. Red probably weighed less than the sack of cabbages in the kitchen.

“Should I dig a hole out back?” Thaddeus had wandered in at the first sounds of distress. The old undertaker had his favorite shovel, Bessie, slung over one shoulder. Mud caked his pants and dirt streaked his face and hands. Tufts of white hair stuck out over his nearly bald head and peeked from inside his ears. He looked at Tom with great excitement, anticipating the task.

About the Authors:

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Join our Shadow Alliance street team so you never miss a new release! Get all the scoop first + giveaways + fun stuff! Also where I get my beta readers and Launch Team! https://www.facebook.com/groups/435812789942761

Bonus goodies!

Read a copy of Gail Z. Martin's Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy short story Catspaw for free: https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/UAjd6 

Check out Gail Z. Martin's epic fantasy Ascendant Kingdoms short story Reconciling Memory here for free: https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/JQorl

GIVEAWAY

Win a copy of The Splintered Crown and Convicts and Exiles here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9751c04221/?

Decking the Haunted Halls with Gail Z. Martin

Decking the Haunted Halls

with Gail Z. Martin 

I love Halloween. Always have, since I was a kid. Even without the candy, I loved the costumes and all the spooky decorations. Once, I rigged up my bedroom with my old Halloween costumes like a haunted house and then was afraid to sleep in it! (My mother was not amused.)

Still, our decorations are more fun than terrifying, because I remember how scared my kids used to get when they were little and some of our neighbors went all-out with sound effects, fog and people jumping out from the bushes. We once had a neighbor who dressed as a witch and rose out of a coffin. My kids took one look, screamed and ran all the way home. So we keep it tame.

Well, as tame as a life-size inflatable hearse driven by the headless horseman with a vampire rising out of his coffin in the back can be. Or an eight-foot dragon that flaps its wings. Yeah, we’re those neighbors.

And just when I think we’re a little over the top, I look through the decoration catalogues and walk into places like Spirit and wonder—who actually decorates with the life-size animated mummies and witches and bodies hanging in cocoons? And how do I get invited to their parties? Seriously, some of these catalogues have stuff that look way better than theme park attractions I’ve been through!

Inside, some of my favorite decorations are hand-painted. Back when I had free time, I enjoyed painting ceramics (although I’m better with words than with paint). Still, I’m fond of the pieces I painted and enjoy seeing them each year. Many of the other decorations have been collected here and there over the years. One of my daughters has a birthday near Halloween, so all the time she was growing up, we did Halloween-themed birthday parties with spooky cakes!

I’ve also got all of Midnight Syndicate’s terrifyingly wonderful spooky music CDs, which are fun to play either when I’m writing a scary scene or to scare the liver out of trick-or-treaters!

Of course, Halloween wouldn’t be the same without ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’, ‘Hocus Pocus’ and ‘Halloweentown’. You’re never too old to enjoy those with a big bowl of popcorn!

But really, if you want to see over the top, talk to me about Christmas decorations!

The New Templars novella series is a new series of short novels, similar to BookShots. Spells, Salt, & Steel is the first in the series by popular steampunk, epic, and urban fantasy duo Gail Z. Martin and Larry N. Martin.

They are the first line of defense against the things that go bump in the night. 
They are the keepers of a centuries-old legacy of The Church defending the world against the forces of darkness. 
They are a bunch of highly armed rednecks, internet video celebrities, soccer moms, and assorted broken nutjobs.
They are the new Templars, and things are about to get weird.

Spells, Salt, & Steel: A New Templars Novella

by Gail Z. Martin,‎ Larry N. Martin

October 3, 2017

116 pages

When all else fails, the ass end of a carp makes a damn fine weapon.

No, that didn't come from the lips of Bubba the Monster Hunter, but it sure could have! That sentence right there kinda encapsulates the life of Mark Wojcik, Monster Hunter. A blue-collar mechanic from the wilds of PA, Mark likes his beer cold, his poker games private, and his monsters…well, he doesn’t like them at all. So when he finds himself dueling a Japanese mythical monster in the Linesville Spillway in the wee hours of the night, he has to use every available weapon to survive and vanquish the ningen. 

Even if it means beating the damn thing to death with a carp. 

If interloping Japanese fish-monsters weren’t bad enough, there’s a Nazi ghost terrorizing the community. Somebody needs to gank the ghostie, and Mark is the man for the job. 

He hopes. 

An excerpt from Spells, Salt, and Steel: A New Templars Novel here 

Let me give a shout-out for #HoldOnToTheLight 2017, back for more with new authors and fantastic new posts! 130+ Sci-Fi/Fantasy authors blogging about their personal struggles with depression, PTSD, anxiety, suicide and self-harm, candid posts by some of your favorite authors on how mental health issues have impacted their lives and books. Read the stories, share the stories, change a life. Find out more at www.HoldOnToTheLight.com

And an excerpt from my friend Jean Marie Ward’s Lord Bai and the Magic Pirate here

About the Author:

website-@GailZMartin-@LNMartinauthor

Facebook-DisquietingVisions blog

GhostInTheMachinePodcast-Goodreads

Wattpad 
Gail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books and Orbit Books. Vengeance: A Darkhurst novel, is the second in a new epic fantasy series for Solaris (coming April, 2018). Her Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy series set in Charleston, SC has a new novel, Vendetta, and a new collection, Trifles and Folly. Spells, Salt, and Steel is the first in another new urban fantasy series set in upstate Pennsylvania. 

Other work includes the Chronicles Of The Necromancer series, the Fallen Kings Cycle, the Ascendant Kingdoms series, the Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy series, and Iron & Blood (co-authored with Larry N. Martin)

Interview: Gail Z. Martin (Iron and Blood: Jake Desmet steampunk series) + giveaway

Sharon: Hello, Gail and welcome to I Smell Sheep. You are one of the busiest authors I’ve met. I counted at least fourteen conventions, the release of three major novels, countless (9 out and 5 in progress) anthology contributions for 2015 and let’s not forget…mother of three kids! So I have to ask what everyone is thinking…cloning or cyborg technology?

Sharon: Let’s talk about your three novel releases this year. War of Shadows is Book 3 in Blaine McFadden’s Ascendant Kingdoms’s Saga. How many books do you plan for this epic fantasy and is the main character Mick single? What would be his idea of the perfect date?

Gail: There will be four books in the Ascendant Kingdoms series. Shadow and Flame, Book 4, comes out in 2016. It’s written—we just finished the editor feedback round, so line edits will follow shortly! As for Blaine, he was engaged before being sent away to the prison colony, but released his fiancée from their betrothal. On Edgeland, he was briefly married, but his wife died from fever. In Reign of Ash, Blaine does get married—but no spoilers as to who the bride is! Over time, his idea of the perfect date has changed. It used to be someone he could spend a quiet evening with at home. Now, shared interests are important, but he has grown to appreciate a woman who can hold her own in a swordfight!

Sharon: Your second 2015 novel release is something new for you. Iron and Blood is the first book in your Jake Desmet steampunk series. What brought on the desire to create a steampunk world? And is Jake single?

Gail: Iron and Blood is set in an alternative history Pittsburgh. We lived in Pittsburgh for 10 years and we’re both from north of the city, so I knew the area very well. Although Pittsburgh’s star has slipped a little in the last sixty years, back in the late 1800s, it was the epicenter of American manufacturing and a perfect setting for steampunk—with some supernatural stuff and magic thrown in for good measure!

The desire to create the world came from a good idea that wouldn’t leave me alone, and so Larry and I started brainstorming our way through it. I kept bugging my agent. Now? Now? Finally he said, “Now.” So here it is! And yes, Jake is single!
Sharon: We have a winner! Everyone can stand in line...behind me!

Sharon: You co-wrote Iron and Blood with your husband. How was that? What sort of writing dynamic have you set up?

*Tells Larry to go fetch more moon pies from the dungeon* 

Sharon: What was it really like writing with your husband?

Gail: Actually, Larry and I have been working closely together for some time now, and he’s been full-time in the business since the end of 2010. Until now, he’s worked behind the scenes, but having two of us tackling various aspects of the projects is why we’re able to do three books a year plus short stories, plus conventions, plus anthologies, etc. He is fantastic on edits, finding plot holes and inconsistencies, continuity and brainstorming, so when I get stuck, we go out for lunch and talk through it, or walk the dogs and talk the whole way around the block. It really is a full collaboration. And it’s fun!

Sharon: Have you two ever staged a fight scene in the den to see if it would work? Do your kids run when they hear “Hey, I need you to help me figure something out.”
Gail: No, but we did arrange for a private tour of a large Pittsburgh cemetery and then blocked out a battle running and ducking behind monuments and triangulating where the shooters would be.

Sharon: I’ve heard rumors of a second Deadly Curiosities novel….

Gail: Vendetta, the next Deadly Curiosities novel, comes out in the end of December. Expect a lot of chills and thrills, some really bad-ass bad guys, a whole lot of supernatural hoopla, and characters who have matured into their power and are very ready to rumble!

Sharon: Thrills and chills? Maybe I should get Jake Desmet to keep me safe…just saying.

Sharon: What was your best family vacation?

Gail: Any vacation where everyone is together is the best. But I’d have to say Disney World. We have it down to a science. We’re all totally Disney geeks and we know our way around the parks like a native.

Sharon: lol. We have a kid that HATED Disney World…I know, right? Which is your favorite park and hotel to stay at?
Gail: Favorite Disney park is a tie between Magic Kingdom (love the Haunted Mansion) and Epcot. Favorite hotel is the Polynesian!

Sharon: What is something from your steampunk world you wish was real?

Gail: Automatons who can do complex tasks. I’d never wash another dish again!

Sharon: Or wash and fold laundry!

Sharon: With all there is on your plate, why do you take on so many anthology projects?

Gail: Anthologies are fun. Writing to the prompt is creative and it’s a chance to play outside the normal sandbox. Sometimes, you come up with a concept that becomes a new series. That’s how Deadly Curiosities was born, out of my story “Buttons” in Magic: The Esoteric and Arcane. We did two space-themed stories for anthologies this year, and I think that will turn into a new series as well. From a business perspective, it’s a chance to reach new readers who might purchase the anthology because of one of the other authors, like your story, and go look up the rest of your work. And it’s pretty cool when you get to be in a collection that features some of your favorite authors!

Sharon: This is the year of the sheep. Tell us how sheep have changed your life. (You can make up something ridiculous here <G>)

Gail: A wise sheep once told me, the grass is greener where it’s well-fertilized, but watch where you step. Thoughts to live by. Sheep-fu. Word.

Sharon: Would make a great fortune cookie.

Sharon: What is something you collect?

Gail: Cleaning out my dad’s massive collections after he passed away cured me of the collecting bug. (Not to mention the fact that after that ordeal, I was threatened with burial in unconsecrated ground if I saddled my kids with collectibles to get rid of.)

Sharon: What was the first job you ever held?

Gail: Night shift DJ at a local radio station. I found out which of my friends’ parents were insomniacs, and which ones stayed up all night drinking because they would call in to request favorite songs. It was a little bit scarring, but I’m better now.

Sharon: Pepsi or Coke?

Gail: Still mourning the demise of Coke Blak (a discontinued product that was a combo of Coke syrup and espresso)

*Katie rides in on a dragon* I heard that! That’s a win for Coke! Suck it Sharon! *flies away cackling*

Sharon: *gives Gail evil eye*

Sharon: cake or pie?

Gail: Pie, especially cherry, strawberry-rhubarb, or mincemeat. Or chicken pot pie. Yum.

Sharon: sword or cross bow?

Gail: Crossbow. You get to be farther away from the sharp pointy things trying to kill you.

 Sharon: board game or card game?

Gail: Both.

Sharon: Got a favorite?
Gail: I'm learning to play Munchkin and Descent. Old school would be Tripoly and Rummy or Hearts. I backed the Exploding Kittens card game on Kickstarter, so we'll see how that is. Did I mention that I still have my Barnabas Collins board game from when Dark Shadows was on TV? You assemble the bones on a glow in the dark skeleton in a coffin unless you get too many wooden stakes. Because of course that was a childhood favorite. 

Sharon: Serenity or Enterprise?

Gail: Serenity

Sharon: ‘60s music or ‘80s music?

Gail: 60s reminds me of my childhood, but I was in college in the 80s, so I’ve got to say 80s. Karma, karma, karma, karma, Karma Chameleon…..

Sharon: *sways* You come and go, You come and go…

The Hawthorn Moon Sneak Peek Event includes book giveaways, free excerpts and readings, all-new guest blog posts and author Q&A on 28 awesome partner sites around the globe. For a full list of where to go to get the goodies, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com

Iron & Blood
by Gail Z. Martin

Paperback, 432 pages
July 7th 2015 by Solaris

A Steampunk novel set in the fictional city of New Pittsburgh.

New Pittsburgh in 1898, a crucible of invention and intrigue, the hub of American industry at the height of its steam-driven power. Born from the ashes of devastating fire, flood and earthquake, New Pittsburgh is ruled by the shadow government of The Oligarchy. In the abandoned mine tunnels beneath the city, supernatural creatures hide from the light, emerging to feed in the smoky city known as 'hell with the lid off.'

Jake Desmet and Rick Brand, heirs to the Brand & Desmet Import Company, travel the world to secure treasures and unusual items for the collections of wealthy patrons, accompanied by Jake's cousin, Veronique 'Nikki' LeClerque. Smuggling a small package as a favor for a Polish witch should have been easy. But when hired killers come after Jake and a Ripper-style killer leaves the city awash in blood, Jake, Rick and Nikki realize that dark magic, vampire power struggles and industrial sabotage are just a prelude to a bigger plot that threatens New Pittsburgh and the world. Stopping that plot will require every ounce of Jake's courage, every bit of Rick's cunning, every scintilla of Nikki's bravura and all the steampowered innovation imaginable.

About the Authors:

website-@GailZMartin-@LNMartinauthor

Facebook-DisquietingVisions blog

GhostInTheMachinePodcast-Goodreads

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Gail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books and Orbit Books. In addition to Iron and Blood, she is the author of Deadly Curiosities and the upcoming Vendetta in her urban fantasy series;The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven, Dark Lady’s Chosen) from Solaris Books and The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn, The Dread) as well as Ice Forged, Reign of Ash, and War of Shadows in The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga from Orbit Books. Gail writes two series of ebook short stories: The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Adventures and her work has appeared in over 20 US/UK anthologies.

Larry N. Martin fell in love with fantasy and science fiction when he was a teenager. After a twenty-five year career in Corporate America, Larry started working full-time with his wife, author Gail Z. Martin and discovered that he had a knack for storytelling, plotting and character development, as well as being a darn fine editor. Iron and Blood is their first official collaboration. On the rare occasions when Larry isn’t working on book-related things, he enjoys pottery, cooking and reading.