FF4 Title Reveal and Sale

Posted by on Jan 17, 2016 in My Books | 6 comments

The wait is almost over!  FF4 will be released soon.  I don’t have a date yet, but the book is currently with my editor, Shelley Holloway, then it heads to Streetlight Graphics for formatting.  So I should be making a release announcement in a few weeks.  But I won’t be calling it FF4.  I’ll be calling it… *drum roll* The Catalyst of Corruption Any guesses on who I put on the cover?  Here’s a snippet between Addie and another character that might give you a clue: He frowned.  “Don’t be an ass.  You know perfectly well what I’m capable of.  As you used to say, we have different strengths as alchemists, but together we find true power.” “I said that?”  Uh-huh.  Sure. “Maybe not so eloquently.” “Did I ever like you?  Because I’m not seeing it.” Check back next week for a cover reveal! In anticipation of this new release, I have a sale going on. If you’ve fallen behind on The Final Formula story, now is your chance to catch up.  For a limited time, the last title in the series, The Heir of Death, is on sale for just $0.99–a savings of $2.  This sale will run until the release of FF4. I’ve taken a different approach to The Final Formula series by alternating between novels in Addie’s point of view and novellas in other character’s points of view.  I know some folks aren’t fans of shorter works, so I try to bring readers up to speed in the beginning of each novel.  But reading the novellas does give a fuller experience.  It’s a lot more fun to watch a story unfold than to be told about it after the fact.  Plus, The Heir of Death is 53,000 words long.  That’s novel length in some genres.  😉 Here’s the blurb for The Heir of Death: Elysia Mallory has never embraced her magic, not when doing so comes at the price of her sanity. Her family is cursed with bizarre necromantic gifts that have driven each recipient mad, and she doesn’t want to be another dead branch on the family tree. But when Elysia learns that an ancestor is still in the mortal world and using his rare...

Read More

Holiday Wishes and an Update

Posted by on Dec 25, 2015 in Random Ramblings | Comments Off on Holiday Wishes and an Update

Another Christmas morning has come and gone here at the Andre household.  I’m knee-deep in wrapping paper and eating warm cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven.  The girl got a new art desk and the boy got a bunch of Fallout 4 memorabilia.  (At the moment, he’s donning his new Fallout hoodie over an Avenged Sevenfold t-shirt, because nothing says Christmas like gamer gear and A7X.  😛 ) Once I finish here, I’m heading over to my Facebook page to post a new FF4 snippet.   FF4 took longer than expected to come together, but the first draft is done and it’s off with beta readers.  I have a date with my editor in mid-January, so if all goes well, look for it to release in early February. Finally, if you haven’t had a chance to read it, here’s the link to my Christmas themed short story from my bundle, The Final Formula Collection: A Christmas Formula. Have a wonderful holiday and thanks for another great year!...

Read More

Lords of the Dead: A Short Story

Posted by on Oct 31, 2015 in FF Fans, Fun Stuff | 24 comments

Happy Halloween! Here’s a special treat for Final Formula fans. Whether you’re new to the series, or you’ve read every book, this short story is accessible to all. There’s nothing to spoil later books for new readers, and established fans will gain added insight into a couple of familiar characters. Hope you like it! Update – If you would like a copy of this story, I’ve included it in Blood Gifts, a novella featuring the Nelson brothers as young men.  Read an excerpt here: Blood Gifts Pick up a copy of Blood Gifts at: Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple Lords of the Dead Chapter 1 Halloween, 1803 Lory knelt behind the tombstone, the weathered granite cold beneath his palm. Moonlight sparkled off the dew-laden grass, dew that would most likely be frost come morning. No surprise, considering that this was the last day of October. He wiggled his toes in an attempt to warm them and wished he had worn heavier socks. But his brother had sprung this idea on him without warning, so he hadn’t had a lot of time to prepare. He glanced over at where his brother knelt behind the tombstone to his right. Lex had closed his eyes, but he was grinning. Lory could feel him using his magic to animate the dead a few yards ahead of them, and marveled anew at his brother’s skill. It made no sense that Lex was so much better than he was. Lex was only ten minutes older. A low chant began, and Lory leaned around his tombstone to see what the dozen men and women in dark cloaks were doing now. He couldn’t make out their identities beneath the hoods each wore, and there was little more than size to distinguish one from another. Their only item of ornamentation was a belt holding a small ceremonial dagger. A lit candelabra and an open book lay atop the stone sarcophagus they were gathered around. He didn’t know if the grave held significance for them or if it just served as a table. Not that it mattered. Things were about to get interesting. It was the body inside the stone box that Lex had animated. “Now?” Lory whispered....

Read More

Character Interview: Addie

Posted by on Oct 23, 2015 in FF Fans, Fun Stuff | 10 comments

Continuing with my month of fun, I’ve finally got my next character interview ready to go. Also, I’ve added a new item to the menu bar at the top of the page called FF Fans. I’ve gathered all the fun Final Formula related posts there. Things like character interviews, alternative point-of-view scenes, and (eventually) some short stories. It’s just an organization thing so fans don’t have to scroll through a bunch of old posts to find the fun stuff. Granted, it doesn’t have a huge amount of content, but I hope to change that. Now, on to the interview. Today’s victim is Addie Daulton, everyone’s favorite alchemist and smartass.   🙂   Becca: Hey, Addie. Thanks for taking time away from the workbench to talk with us today. Addie: I’m digging my introduction. (laughs) Smartass? Becca: If the shoe fits… Addie: Oh, it does. (winks) Thanks for having me. Now maybe Ian will shut up about what an honor it was to be interviewed by you. Becca: (tries not to laugh) Has that been a problem? Addie: Well, you know what a humble guy he is. He only brings it up about once an hour. Becca: Sorry about that. Addie: (waves away the apology) That’s just Ian. But I assume we’re not here to talk about him. Becca: No. This time, fans want to learn more about you. They even supplied a list of questions. (picks up a sheet of paper) Addie: Wow, that’s some list. Good thing I turned off the hot plate. Becca: You didn’t leave Ian to watch it? Addie: He’s out. I suspect he went shopping. He’s still looking to replace that smoking jacket. (rolls her eyes) Becca: Hmm. (tries not to look guilty) Shall we begin? Addie: Hit me. Becca: (turns to question list) The most popular topic is your past. Addie: I’m not sure how much I can tell you about that. The amnesia makes my recall a bit spotty. Becca: Ha ha. I believe these questions are about how you deal with that. For example, do you ever wonder if you have any relatives out there? Parents, siblings, or good friends who don’t know what became of...

Read More

Alternative POV Scene: Rowan in The Final Formula

Posted by on Oct 12, 2015 in FF Fans, Fun Stuff | 4 comments

As promised, here’s a new alternative POV scene from The Final Formula.  Like the first scene I did, this one is also in Rowan’s POV.  If you didn’t get to read the first one, it’s offered as a bonus when you sign up for my newsletter.  If you’d like to learn more about my newsletter, I did a post about it here. *** The Element and the Alchemist   The door closed and Rowan slumped in his chair. Just one more petitioner to go. God, what a long morning. He leaned his head back and rubbed both hands over his face. Normally, this aspect of his job didn’t bother him. He actually enjoyed talking with his people and helping them settle disputes, or work out some magical anomaly. But he just couldn’t get into it today—and deep down, he knew why. He shoved himself to his feet, and tugging up the hood of his gray robe, walked to the nearest bookshelf. He pulled down a book at random and began leafing through the pages, hoping something would draw his attention. Something to make him stop thinking about last night, when he found an intruder in the kitchen right here at the Elemental Offices. An intruder he had ended up kissing. “Don’t go there,” he told himself, though it was too late. He was already thinking about the little thief in the skin-tight body suit he had caught pilfering one of his glasses. At some point, he had lost his mind and let her take a glass in exchange for a kiss. Clearly, he needed to take his brother’s advice and date more. A knock sounded at the library door and Rowan’s heart beat quicker despite himself. She wouldn’t be knocking at his door. Hell, he would probably never see her again. No doubt, she congratulated herself on the successful heist of one of the Flame Lord’s glasses. It would impress her friends, or maybe the handsome young stud she was dating. The double doors opened and Bradley stepped inside. The young man stood at attention, looking every bit the polished servant in his black livery. Rowan still found it a surprise that people of this...

Read More