I think the title pretty much says it all, but just in case:

Blackbirds is the Kindle Daily Deal over at Amazon today (February 1st, 2014).

Which means it’s $1.99 for your Kindlemaschine. (Though one does not need a Kindle to read Kindle files, of course — Amazon makes Kindle apps for your phone, your computer, your web browser, your pets, your BRAIN. Okay, maybe not those last two?

Regardless, if you’re looking for a reason to check out the book, there it is.

Also, if you’d be so kind as to tell your friends? Your family? Your foes?

Hell, tell everyone.

EEEEVERYYYYONE

/garyoldman

So, when I was doing some promo for The Cormorant, I had some fun over at Cabin Goddess and got to make up a Miriam Black cocktail — the “Miriam Negroni.” Which is:

1 oz dark rum

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. sweet vermouth

The juice of a blood orange.

You could go old school and just use gin. While rum fits the part of the book where Miriam descends to Florida, the book also is set around Christmastime and one cannot deny that gin sometimes tastes like liquefied Christmas tree.

To be really authentic you should probably also lacquer the edges with cremated human remains or cigarette ash.

Or just drink the whole thing through a human skull.

And I thought, that was kind of a fun challenge.

So, this is that challenge, modified.

It has two parts:

You will:

a) Invent your own cocktail (and give us the recipe!). It can be real or fictional — meaning, it can be something we can make ourselves or a cocktail purely made from fictional ingredients (“Betelgeuse Tequila and bitters made from Slarm glands”). Name the cocktail, too.

b) Then write a short story with the name of your cocktail as the name of the short story. The story should be tied to the cocktail in some way — some plot or character-hook, or maybe the cocktail is front and center in the plot.

Any genre will do.

Let’s say you have 2000 words this time around.

You still have one week — due February 7th — WAIT IS IT FEBRUARY ALREADY? Crap on a stick.

Ahem. Due in one week, by noon EST.

Post at your online space. Link back here. Same drill as usual.

Bonus: I’ll pick one random participant (sorry, you gotta live in the US for this) who will get an ART HARDER flask, as seen in this image below:

(Available from Zazzle if you click the image. Or from the Merch link.)

That’s the deal. Now go: invent a cocktail, write a story.

LUNA MASTERSON SEES DEMONS. She has been dealing with the demonic all her life, so when her brother gets tangled up with a demon named Sparkles, ‘Luna the Lunatic’ rolls in on her motorcycle to save the day. Armed with the ability to harm demons, her scathing sarcasm, and a hefty chip on her shoulder, Luna gathers the most unusual of allies, teaming up with a green-eyed heroin addict and a snarky demon ‘of some import.’ After all, outcasts of a feather should stick together…even until the end. This is the volume one in The Bone Angel Trilogy by Mercedes M. Yardley, author of the award-winning novella, Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love.

Write the Book You Want to Read.

You hear it all of the time, but oh, hey! Wow! It’s true!

I was in a reading rut. I wanted a fast, urban fantasy tale, but I’ve become disenchanted with these amazing, ball-busting woman who are perfect with a knife or gun or katana. They’re born with The Gift, or they’re brought into demon-killing when their parents were murdered. The fire of ungodly revenge stokes their souls.

I wanted something different. Give me a book about a socially awkward girl who is more of an outcast than a lone wolf. Make her clumsy and give her hair like Siouxsie Sioux.  Oh, and maybe she’s tone deaf.

Such a character doesn’t exist? Well, then. I’ll create her. Then I’ll read the heck out of this book.

The Recipe for Marmalade.

It’s easy. I make it in a bread maker because I’m a writer, and I’m writing Big Important Novels and my brilliant self is strapped for time. Or I’m lazy. That’s more accurate.

Take three oranges and a lemon. Zest one orange and that lucky little lemon into the bread maker pan. Juice the lemon. Peel the oranges (very important) and cut them up. Add the lemon juice, oranges, 1 ¼ cup sugar and 2 Tablespoons pectin to the bread pan.

Start the bread maker. Let everything mix. Stop the bread maker and set it on bake. Let it cook for an hour.

Voila, you clever, clever thing! You have made marmalade.

Why You Need a Recipe for Marmalade

Writing a book is wonderful and amazing and sometimes all-consuming. Especially if you have other things going on in your life, like a family or work. You can find yourself living on cold soup eaten directly from the can with a spoon. But some soft and gentle touches can make everything happy and homey, and make you feel loved. Warm homemade bread made in that same bread maker with melted butter and marmalade will remind you why you write in the first place. You write because there’s some joy or obsession there. You write because there’s magic in the world. Every writer in the world should have homemade bread and marmalade. It will improve your quality of life, and you’ll want to live again.

Also, your family will appreciate you more if you ply them with delicious treats.

 I Learned How to Ride a Motorcycle.

I grew up riding on the back of bikes, but I didn’t know how to drive one. I’m not a backseat type o’ person, and I always wanted my own bike, so I decided it was just time to do it. I was the only woman in the class. I learned how to hop over boards and zip around and accomplished something that was important to me. I now have a motorcycle license, and decided that when Nameless come out, I’m buying a motorcycle. Guess what? It’s here!

I’m scouring the ads for my own bike as we speak.

“But the main character in Nameless rides a motorcycle!”  Yes, she does. It was absolutely directly influenced. I learned that a bike was everything I ever wanted and more. I felt happy and free.

Writing Can Be Fun.

Of course, it’s supposed to be fun. But sometimes we lose that aspect of it. There’s so much pressure to create, to do it fluidly, to add subtleties and nuance and make everything a deep, dark mystery. To have your work kissed by the gods. To stay true to your voice and style and niche and not disappoint the people who expect a certain something out of you. I realized that I was approaching my writing with trepidation and fear.  Fear of writing something that I wasn’t proud of, or something nobody understood, or something simply “unworthy”. Nameless was written for a dear friend, so I threw all of my apprehension aside and just wrote. The characters were snarky and fun. The demonic entities were creepy. I had a ball writing this book. So much fun! I didn’t ever think it would be my first published novel, and instead of stressing about it, I let it be my playground. This was perhaps the best lesson of all.

Mercedes Yardley: Website | Twitter

Nameless: The Darkness Comes: Amazon

Not much to say here except: you had me at “Tim Lebbon is writing an Alien novel.”

Tell Us About Yourself: Who The Hell Are You?

Tim Lebbon, born in London, living in South Wales, writing since I could pick up a pencil. I’ve been published for 15 years and made a living from it for the past seven. It’s not easy, but it does happen to be the best job ever. I’ve had 30 novels published and hundreds of short stories and novellas, won some awards, had some stuff optioned but have yet to see anything on the big screen. I like real ale, chocolate, Indian cuisine. I run marathons, walk in the mountains, compete in triathlons and Ironman races. Little known fact: my favourite animal is the duck billed platypus.

Give Us The 140-Character Pitch:

Ripley was adrift in the Narcissus for 57 years before a deep space salvage team rescued her. But she wasn’t always asleep.

Where Does This Story Come From?

The basic premise comes from Fox — as does the whole loosely-connected trilogy (forthcoming books from James A Moore and Christopher Golden). But past that all the detail, the plot, the setting and characters are mine. Apart from Ripley, of course, who one or two of your readers might already know.

How Is This A Story Only You Could’ve Written?

See above. It’s my story built around a one-page concept from Fox. I’ve been an Alien fan for years and have always wanted to write an Alien novel. Dream job.

What Was The Hardest Thing About Writing Alien: Out of the Shadows?

Knowing it had to end. Honestly, I had a great time writing this book. The whole process, including notes and feedback from Fox and dealing with my splendid editor at Titan, was a pleasure.

What Did You Learn Writing Alien: Out of the Shadows?

Ripley is even more of a hard-ass than even I knew.

What Do You Love About Alien: Out of the Shadows?

It’s an action packed story, and yet I tried to give it a distinctive feel, much as each of the Alien movies feel different in tone and theme.

What Don’t You Like About It?

That it had to end.

Give Us Your Favorite Paragraph From The Story:

Wow, that’s a difficult one. How about this…

He grabbed a fixed seat and hauled himself upright. Lights flashed. Cords, panelling, and strip-lights swung where they had been knocked from their mountings. Artificial gravity still worked, at least. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to recall his training. There had been an in-depth module in their pre-flight sessions, called “Massive Damage Control,” and their guide—a grizzled old veteran of seven solar system moon habitations and three deep space exploration flights—had finished each talk with, But don’t forget YTF.

It took Hoop until the last talk to ask what he meant.

“Don’t forget…” the vet said, “you’re truly fucked.”

What’s Next For You As A Storyteller?

I’m working on THE SILENCE, a new horror novel for Titan in the UK and US. Titan US are also publishing my zombie apocalyptic novel COLDBROOK soon, and I’ve just finished a thriller which I’m hoping will find a home soon. I also have ideas for several new novels … so many ideas, so little time.

Tim Lebbon: Website

Alien Out of the Shadows: Amazon | B&N

I’ve known Myke for a couple-few years now and he’s an incredibly hard-working writer who keeps upping his game. This is evidenced in part by his blog, where he’s been writing posts of increasing awesomeness about writing and life. Here is he to bring the hammer down on his newest, Breach Zone:

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF: WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?

I’m busier than a one legged man . . . uh . . . who works a lot. I have three jobs: I do specialized work for the NYPD, I command a Reserve Coast Guard boat squadron (we do search-and-rescue and maritime law enforcement in the waters all around New York City), and I write fantasy novels.

The irony is that I often feel like I’m not where I want to be in life. Then I take a minute a realize that I’m being paid to split my time between fighting crime and making art.

Who am I? I’m kind of a cross between Batman and Tolkien, and honestly? It’s fucking awesome.

GIVE US THE 140-CHARACTER STORY PITCH:

Trilogy’s end: Watch a magic-wielding US military defend New York City from an invading army of monsters. Oh, and there’s love and sex too.

WHERE DOES THIS STORY COME FROM?

Two places, really. The first: The SHADOW OPS trilogy has always been about a failed government policy steamrolling decent people. As I was writing and revising BREACH ZONE, the Manning case wrapped up and the Snowden case broke. There was a lot of food for thought in both of those regarding government control, the tradeoff between security and civil liberties and the amount of power people should have over their own government. Without my realizing it, BREACH ZONE became an exploration of that.

The second: New York City is a tough town. The old salt “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,” is spot on. I’ve been here about three years now, and this town has been kicking my ass for every minute of it.

With BREACH ZONE, I get to kick back.

HOW IS THIS A STORY ONLY YOU COULD’VE WRITTEN?

BREACH ZONE is a fantasy novel that features a US Coast Guard cutter, the combined might of the US military and the NYPD, and takes place across all five boroughs . . . well, except Queens, but Queens has been neglected by New York City stories since its inception . . . Oh, wait. I forgot about Eddie Murphy in Coming to America. *Sigh* Nevermind.

Anyway, I’m a Coast Guard officer who works for the NYPD and lives in New York City and writes fantasy novels. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that that’s a unique combination of traits that lend themselves fairly well to a book about . . . well, those things.

WHAT WAS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT WRITING BREACH ZONE?

When I first set out as a professional novelist, I was immediately classified as a “military writer.” That’s okay. For one thing, it’s true, and the truth is that I milked it for its marketing potential. I do have a particular background for a fantasy writer, and if that adds authenticity to my work, then so much the better.

But that label rankles. Yes, I’m a writer of military fiction. Yes, the military is a huge part of my life. But people are complicated. There’s a lot more to me than my job, and the truth is that just writing military fiction for the rest of my career sounds really boring. I don’t want to be a military writer. I don’t even want to be a fantasy writer. I want to be a writer. Full stop.

Stories are about people. In the end, that’s all we really care about. The Formics in Ender’s Game are people. The rabbits in Watership Down are people. This is why reality TV is so incredibly popular. We’re clanar. We’re social. We want to know about one another.

This is the heart of the romance genre. The plot is almost secondary. What matters is fascinating people, interacting with one another. Character is all.

When I learned that men don’t usually don’t write romance under their own names, I was furious. Men love, men have sex. Those outstanding people stories apply to us too. I swore then that I would learn to be an effective writer of romance.

BREACH ZONE is, at its heart, a love story. It is the first one I have ever written. I hope like hell that I pulled it off.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN WRITING BREACH ZONE?

I’ve heard writers say “I just put the characters on the stage, and they act on their own. I just sit back and take notes.” That NEVER happened to me, and I always thought that was a mark that there was something wrong with my creative process.

BREACH ZONE was the first time that happened. Scylla turned on her heel, faced me, and flatly refused to move the plot forward.

Like I said, people. People are complicated. They’re chaotic. They’re not easily ruled.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BREACH ZONE?

Scylla. Beautiful, brilliant, solid steel. She is the love of my life laid out in text.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME?

Ease up on myself. The pressure ratchets up with each novel. Every book *must* be better than the last. But reminding yourself of that every thirty seconds doesn’t help. It just makes you crazy. No novel was ever improved by its author going nuts from the pressure.

GIVE US YOUR FAVORITE PARAGRAPH FROM THE STORY:

My favorite paragraph is a MAJOR spoiler, so I’ll give you a paragraph (uh, a few paragraphs actually) that I like a whole lot (this is Scylla talking to Jan Thorsson, who my readers know as Harlequin):

“And what were you promised, Jan? Are these humans you’re so ready to die for rewarding your loyalty? Are they treating you like the hero you are?”
Harlequin swallowed. Faces flashed through his mind, the vein throbbing in Hewitt’s forehead, Knut’s curled lip.

“They’re terrified of you, aren’t they?” Scylla asked. “They curse you even as they beg you to save them. Why, Jan? I don’t understand.” Because it’s not about me. It never was, he thought. But all he said was, “You can’t understand.”

“Jan,” she said, her voice low now, all anger gone from it, quivering ever so slightly. She sounded hurt. She sounded genuine. “Jan, please. Don’t do this.”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AS A STORYTELLER?

My next novel, GEMINI CELL is already fully written (I’m sending the 4th draft off to my agent as soon as I finish typing this). It’s set in the SHADOW OPS universe, but many years before CONTROL POINT in the early days of the Great Reawakening. Readers will get to see the SOC in its infancy, and meet a US Navy SEAL who is one its first members.

Like BREACH ZONE, GEMINI CELL is a love story at its heart, and has the most detailed sex scenes I’ve written to date.

I am also finally taking my first stab at breaking out of the military milieu. I have 50,000 words of a dark fantasy with a young girl as a protagonist. It’s called THE FRACTURED GIRL and I am hoping that it impresses my agent enough for him to agree to represent it. I think it represents a new level in my writing, and I’m hopeful it’ll find a publisher who agrees.

Myke Cole: Website | Twitter

Breach Zone: Amazon | Indiebound | B&N

* * *

Indiebound / Amazon / B&N / Angry Robot / Trailer / Add on Goodreads

Miriam Black knows how you’re going to die.

All it takes is a touch — a little skin-to-skin action.

Now someone — some rich asshole from Florida — wants to pay her so he can find out how he’s going to die. But when she touches him, she receives a message sent back through time and written in blood: HELLO, MIRIAM. It’s a taunt, a warning, and the start of a dangerous and deadly game for everybody’s favorite carcinogenic psychic, Miriam Black.

* * *

My experience in releasing books is this: the first week see very strong sales. Then the remainder of the first month, sales drop a little each week. Then after that month they drop somewhat considerably, and over time kind of creep back up and then yo-yo up and down over the course of many weeks. Watching the sales line is like watching a drunken crop-duster ply his aerial pesticide craft as if he were, instead, a stunt pilot.

(One book that deviated from this is The Kick-Ass Writer, which appeared to go up and up for many weeks after its release — not sure why this is, exactly, but I shan’t complain.)

Anyway!

Point is: The Cormorant has now been out for just shy of a month. We are approaching the dreaded dip and I thought, well, this seems like a fine time to signal boost. Particularly since the book is with Angry Robot — who, while very wonderful and inventive, remains a small publisher. Which means I can’t just take a nap on all these bags of sweet author money. (A contrast to this is Under the Empyrean Sky, which was published by Skyscape/Amazon — they ran a promotion where the book appeared on folks’ ad-subsidized Kindles and as a result, the book sales were rather phenomenal during the weeks of that marketing event. It was a bit boggling in the best way. I felt drunk! SALES DRUNK.)

So, today’s signal boost comes in the form of a contest.

A Twitter contest.

I want you to tweet about the book.

This tweet must include two things:

a) the hashtag: #miriamblackisback

b) a link to this very blog post.

Your tweet can contain anything else you like. Which I know opens me to you inserting some weird emoji of, like, a cartoon dick eating a hamburger, but that’s my cross to bear, not yours.

(The goal is to get people to come here and, you know, at least consider checking out the book. And for those who have already read it, the secondary goal is to ask for reviews. Reviews help a book survive and even thrive, and I appreciate every one that crosses my eyeballs.)

This contest runs from noon EST today (1/28/14) to 11:59PM EST tonight (1/28/14).

Tomorrow morning I’ll pick three random winners.

First picked winner will get all three of the Miriam Black books, signed. (That means: Blackbirds, Mockingbird, The Cormorant.)

Two other winners will each get a copy of The Cormorant, signed.

(Also: I autograph the Miriam Black books by predicting how you’re gonna die.)

I’ll pay shipping — unless you’re outside the U.S., in which case, shipping is on you.

One tweet only, please. Multiple tweets won’t count.

And that’s it. Thanks for signal boosting. Everyone’s favorite psychotic psychic thanks you, too. Probably by predicting your demise then pushing you down some stairs so she can steal your cool calculator watch. Because that’s how she rolls. Usually.