My WorldCon / MidAmeriCon II Schedule

Posted on July 29, 2016 by SharonJoss

MidAmericon_IILess than three weeks to WorldCon!  I’ve got a lot to get done, and the clock is ticking.

MysticJiveloresI am planning to have a couple of Advance Reader Copies of Mystic Jive with me. Bring a copy of one of my books (or a short story!) to sign (Thursday at 3pm is your best bet), and I’ll give you a free ARC.  First come, first serve, while supplies last.

Here’s my WorldCon / MidAmeriCon II schedule. I’ll update this as I fill up time.

THURSDAY

14:00 – 15:00 (Kansas City Convention Center) 2202
Special group reading featuring authors from the Arc Manor & Galaxy’s Edge Magazine. I’ll be reading from my story, “Ides of Nevah-Nevah”
With: Mike Resnick (M), Tina Gower,  Alex Shvartsman, Marina J. Lostetter

15:00 – 16:00, Autographing Space (Kansas City Convention Center)
If you’re looking to find me for a book signing, and an advanced reader copy of Mystic Jive, this is the place. Me, with Anna Kashina, Jason Sanford, and John W. Campbell award winner, Mur Lafferty

18:00 – 19:00  (Kansas City Convention Center) 2208
The Real Lab
Sometimes things go very right in the lab, and sometimes things go horribly wrong. Professional scientists discuss the sometimes terrifying, often hilarious, crazy things that can happen when working in the lab. How does science happen and is it really as clean cut and precise as we are led to believe? How has science organized itself so that error corrects solid knowledge out of the human stew?
With: Dr Helen Pennington, Dr. Ronald Taylor, MR. Donald Douglas Fratz, Benjamin C. Kinney (I’m moderating this one)

19:00 – 20:00 (Kansas City Convention Center) 2208
Biology: The New Hard SF
It’s been 20 years (at least) since space travel and physics problems could credibly claim to be at the centre of “hard SF:” the biological sciences, from genomics to ecology, seem more central to our future. What narrative opportunities does biology offer SF writers? Which stories make the most of those opportunities, and which fall into common traps? And what areas does SF need to further explore?
With: Mr. Leo d’Entremont (M), S.B. Divya, Dr. Tom Easton, Robert J. Sawyer

FRIDAY
09:00-10:00 Private Writers Breakfast

15:00 – 16:00 (Kansas City Convention Center) 2503B
Legends and Myths in Urban Fantasy
Most urban fantasy draws upon folklore and legnds. How do these old mystical beliefs inform modern fantasy? What place does magic have in downtown New York, Mexico City, or London? Do the rules of magic and the supernatural change between when you cross between city street and countryside?
With: Dana Cameron (M), Randy Henderson, Yanni Kuznia, Chelsea Mueller

SATURDAY

11:00 – 13:00    2205 – A/V (Kansas City Convention Center)
SFWA Business Meeting  
SFWA members only. Latest updates from the board about what SFWA has been doing and what plans are in place for the next year.  Cat Rambo (M), M.C.A. Hogarth, Bud Sparhawk, Sarah Pinsker, Kate Baker, Matthew Johnson, Jennifer Brozek, Susan Forest, Dr. Lawrence M. Schoen

16:00 – 17:00 (Kansas City Convention Center)  2206
Science That Inspired Science Fiction Authors
A panel of science fiction authors talk about the scientific research and breakthroughs that inspired them to become science fiction authors.
With: Renée Sieber, Paul Dale Anderson, Matthew Hughes, Bradley Denton (M)

17:00-19:00 – Private Dinner

19:00 – ?? Hugo Awards
Last year I watched livestream from the bar, but I could be anywhere.

SUNDAY

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig.

Posted in 2016, Galaxy's Edge, MidAmeriCon II, Sharon Joss, Worldcon, WorldCon Schedule 2016 | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

MYSTIC JIVE Cover Reveal

Posted on July 13, 2016 by SharonJoss
MysticJivelores

MYSTIC JIVE

Coming soon to a bookseller near you, MYSTIC JIVE!  Release day is in less than a month away, and there’s still so much more to do.  I’m starting to ramp up the promotion right now, so you’ll be seeing more about this in coming weeks.
This is the fourth book in my Hand of Fate  urban fantasy series.  Book 1 in the series, DESTINY BLUES, is free, so grab your copy while you can now on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Apple iTunes, or wherever you buy e-books.

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Upcoming Appearances

WorldCon / MidAmeriCon II is next month, in beautiful St. Louis, MO. I’ll be doing a group reading for Galaxy’s Edge magazine and several other panels. In addition to copies of my short stories, I’m hoping to have a few copies of MYSTIC JIVE on hand to give away (first come, first serve) to people who ask me to sign paperback versions of Destiny Blues, Legacy Soul, or Chaos Karma.

I’ll also be attending OryCon in Portland, Oregon in November–look for me there.

Posted in 2016, book signing, Chaos Karma, Cover Reveal, Destiny Blues, Galaxy's Edge, Hand of Fate, Legacy Soul, Marketing Plan, MidAmeriCon II, Mystic Jive, Orycon, reading, reading out loud, Sharon Joss, urban fantasy, Worldcon, writers | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hand of Fate: Destiny Blues – Book 1 | Sharon Joss

Posted on June 9, 2016 by SharonJoss

0000 2016-HOF1-3LOlores

Destiny Blues, first novel in the HAND OF FATE series, is now available at ALL online retailers for FREE!    Amazon   Apple iTunes    Barnes & Noble    Kobo

Sign up for my mailing list (here) and get another book free. You’ll get occasional newsletters with release updates, and a chance at other free goodies.
Your information will never be shared and you can cancel at any time.

Some people attract stray cats. With Mattie Blackman, it’s demons.

At work, in her car, even at the foot of her bed. And with the FBI on the hunt for a rogue demon master, she’s desperate to get rid of them. Thwarted at every turn to solve her problem through legitimate channels, she turns to Shore Haven’s sexy mage for the answer: a fate she refuses to accept.
But as the serial killer’s victims pile up, Mattie realizes there’s only one way to stop a demon master. To save her friends and the people she loves, Mattie must choose between her life and her destiny.

Fans of Mercy Thompson, Stephanie Plum, or the Iron Druid will likely enjoy this series.

“…amusingly off-beat…fun…romp.”
– Locus

Destiny Blues is the first book in the Hand of Fate urban fantasy series.

Posted in 2016, Chaos Karma, Destiny Blues, Free Books, Hand of Fate, Harry Dresden, Iron Druid, Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, Legacy Soul, Mercy Thompson, paranormal, Patricia Briggs, series, Sharon Joss, Stephanie Plum, supernatural, supernatural thriller, urban fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Writing Life: When You’re Hot, You’re Hot

Posted on June 4, 2016 by SharonJoss

hot3 Summer arrived with a bang this month. This weekend, most of Oregon is under an excessive heat warning for the next two days. Temperatures are predicted to top 100 degrees where I live. It’s early yet, so I’ve got my windows open, trying to suck in as much cool morning air as possible.

I’ve been pretty quiet lately because I’m hard at work on book four in my Hand of Fate urban fantasy  / paranormal romance series, Mystic Jive. My goal is to have the first draft finished in three weeks, so it’s just as well that the dog and I will be parked in front of the fans all weekend. Right now, I’m in the middle of it, and the magic that happens when the story comes together reminds me how much I love writing. The words start coming fast and furious, and it’s all I can do to get them down as quick as I can type. For me, this is the very best part of the process. I can’t take the day off–you don’t mess with the muse.

hot2

So I’m not going to the farmers market this morning. Or down to the lake to watch the ducks paddle about. No drive to the beach for a walk in the sand for me. I’ll take Rowan out for shady walks at the park with all the trees, but that’s about it.  Hot or cold, it’s all writing weather.

Such is the life of a writer. Write on.

Posted in draft, Hand of Fate, muse, Mystic Jive, Sharon Joss, urban fantasy, writing life, Writing Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Romancing the Fish

Posted on April 23, 2016 by SharonJoss

fall5Living near a lake (as I do) provides endless opportunities to observe nature and wildlife on a daily basis. And after more than six months (seasonal activity aside), I’ve come to expect the denizens of the lake to behave in a certain way.

The Great Blue Heron stalks the shoreline and squawks at me when the dog and I pass him on the path. The Kingfisher’s haunting call always precedes the sight of him hovering and then diving into the water for a gleaming silver fish, after which he retires to his favorite cedar tree for private dining. There’s a family of mergansers with spiky topknots which patrol the east side of the lake, except when the cormorant pair show up. Whenever the cormorants are around, everybody leaves. I guess nobody likes them. And sometimes, on Thursday mornings, if the sun is shining, there’s a couple fishermen who set up their fishing poles and have a go at whatever’s biting that day. They rarely catch anything, but they never seem particularly disappointed.

Carp2

But this week, things were different. It started on Monday–fish were literally jumping clear out of the water!  At the rate of about 3 or four splashes a minute.  We had a couple days of really warm temps, so I just figured that there were a lot of bugs out and the fish were hungry. It was pretty cool.

carp3

I didn’t take these pictures, but you get the idea.

But on Tuesday, the very nature of the lake had changed. The birds were silent. I could hear the splashing even before the dog and I reached the shoreline. There was not a duck or goose or bird to be seen. The waters were literally churning with fish. Big fish. Carp bigger than my arm. Hell, bigger than my leg! Swarming the shallows–piling on top of each other. Squirming, splashing, flopping. Some of these fish were humongous, and I could see even bigger fish a little further out. Kinda scary, actually.

carp4They plowed into the vegetation along the waterline–iris, cattails, even half-sunken logs were rolled and torn out as these enormous carp engaged in a phantasmagoric, orgiastic ecstasy of well, um, spawning activity. It went on all day.

And the next day it was over. Just a few 8-inchers resting in the shady waters beneath the big willow tree. No jumping. No splashing. Just a bunch of flotsam and dying vegetation floating listlessly on the water. The ducks showed up two days later, and now everything is back to normal.

I guess the party is over.

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New Cover for STEAM DOGS

Posted on April 13, 2016 by SharonJoss

The fabulous new Damonza cover for STEAM DOGS is now available on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Apple iBooks for $4.99.

000 STEAM DOGS DEMONZA 040516loresA Conspiracy of Magic

Set in an alternate 19th-century Britain, master thief Simon Atters, his best friend Captain Arvel Paretti and his airship the Il Colibri arrive on the Isle of Dogs for the Queen’s airshow. The Brits are looking for an air navy, and Simon and Arvel are looking to win the royal purse–one way or another.  Not even the clever police inspector, Roman Greenslade can deter them. But a beautiful woman and a sinister conspiracy against Queen Victoria disrupt all their plans…

From the Charge of the Light Brigade in Turkey, to the mountains of central Europe, to the Isle of Capri, this story explores a world where magic is wielded as the weapon of ultimate destruction.  I’m excited about this book, and I think fans of historical fantasy, steampunk, and alternate history will enjoy it.

Posted in 2016, Alternate History, battles, fantasy, historical, magic, Sharon Joss, STEAM DOGS, supernatural thriller | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Destiny Blues ebook now FREE!

Posted on April 3, 2016 by SharonJoss

2016 DestinyBlueslores

I’m happy to announce that Destiny Blues, the first volume in my Hand of Fate paranormal romance / urban fantasy series is now available as a FREE download from the following ebook retailers:
Amazon 
Kobo
Apple iBooks

Download your free copy now!

Some people attract stray cats. With Mattie Blackman, it’s demons.

At work, in her car, even at the foot of her bed. And with the FBI on the hunt for a rogue demon master, she’s desperate to get rid of them. Thwarted at every turn to solve her problem through legitimate channels, she turns to Shore Haven’s sexy mage for the answer: a fate she refuses to accept.

But as the serial killer’s victims pile up, Mattie realizes there’s only one way to stop a demon master. To save her friends and the people she loves, Mattie must choose between her life and her destiny.

“…amusingly off-beat…fun…romp.”

                                                               – Locus

Fans of Mercy Thompson, Sookie Stackhouse, Harry Dresden, or the Iron Druid will likely enjoy this series.

Also available in paperback wherever you buy books.

 

Posted in 2016, Destiny Blues, Free, Hand of Fate, paranormal, paranormal romance, Sharon Joss, The Power of Free, urban fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment