Hello Everyone!
I've made it. You've made it. Holy cat castles! WE'VE made it!
Oh, and just in case you're not sure what we've made it to....
It's release day for the final (or is it?) installment of Cassie Black's very inappropriately named trilogy.
That's right, The Unexpected Mr Hopkins is finally here. The would be Book Six for those of you keeping score, and you'll be very glad to know that this time there are NO cliffhangers.
Yes, plot lines have been nicely untangled, story threads have been knotted off, and all those little fibers have been woven in to what my review team tells me is a not-too-shabby tale.
Sorry, all this is starting to sound like I'm trying to sell you Morelli's latest crochet workbook.
So how about we put down the skein of yarn and get moving on...
- A special (and surprising) honor
- Some very heart-felt, gushing thanks
- Some colorful graphics (aka "evidence of me procrastinating")
- All the many and marvelous ways you can get your copy of The Unexpected Mr Hopkins
- A small sample from the book and its description
A surprising honor...
I don't know how, I don't know why, all I know is that I'm not complaining that Kobo selected The Unexpected Mr Hopkins as one of their Best Books of the Month for February.
Talk about your jaw-dropping surprises : )
The gushing thanks bit...
I'm going to go back in time with this bit of gushing thanks and say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who read, recommended, and/or reviewed any (or all) of Cassie's previous five books. Word of mouth has really been the heart and soul of getting these books in front of new readers... mainly because I have no concept of how to market and mostly just flounder around with my advertising attempts.
So, yes, every time you've told someone how many times you laugh-snorted over Cassie's misadventures, every time you've asked your local librarian to add the books to their collection, and every time you've posted a review on whatever website or blog, really has helped made Cassie the star she is today.
And another big THANK YOU goes out to all of you brave souls who have pre-ordered the books in this second trilogy. To be honest, I've been completely floored by the number of pre-orders and enthusiasm for each of these books, so if I haven't said it already... THANK YOU again and again.
And of course, gobs of slobbery thanks to my review team... you are superstars! Your early reviews, your advice on changes to make, and your encouraging comments are like big old slices of chocolate cake fueling my writer energy. So many thanks (and even more thanks to my typo hunters...you are super-duper stars)
An Absolute Mess Means Bonuses for You
As with books four and five, The Unexpected Mr Hopkins was an absolute mess in the drafting stages. I knew what needed to happen, but had no idea how to get Cassie there.
So, I jotted down the various Needs to Happen ideas, and then I began a verbal diarrhea of writing to fill out all those ideas.
The results was a dumpster fire. And not a good one with marshmallows and hot dogs (veggie or meaty, your choice). No, this was a dumpster full of dog poo, fish heads, and rotten eggs that had been left out during a month-long heat wave.
I had scenes that completely contradicted other scenes. I had explanations that made no sense when other explanations were taken into account. I had chapters jumbled out of order and in settings that made no sense. I had events happening that simply had no place in the plot.
Which is why I'm still shocked that I ended up with a book that now (mostly) makes logical sense, and one that one reader described as a "fast-paced story."
It's also why I ended up with a couple bonus chapters that you'll get to read once you reach The End. (I'd share them with you now, but they involve spoilers, so....).
Anyway, while it was a tough road due to my brain being scrambled by that pesky thing called Life, I do think The Unexpected Mr Hopkins, and the second Cassie Black Trilogy as a whole, turned out pretty darn okay.
And sometimes I just don't know how I managed to pull that off : ) The book gods must have really liked that sacrifice of tea and cookies I left them, that's all I can figure!
Anyway, there's more about the book in the actual book, so how about we get some books into your hands?
Ebooks and Paperbacks, Major Retailers and Indie Shops
If you're new here and want to learn more about the book, including a sample and description, you'll find those just a bit further down.
Where to find The Unexpected Mr. Hopkins...
- As an ebook on my Payhip Bookstore (don't forget to use your subscriber goodie below)
- As an ebook at most major ebook retailers
- As an ebook through various subscription services (Kobo Plus, BorrowBox, Scribd, Hoopla, etc.)
- As a paperback at a few bookstores*
You'll find links to all those retailers and subscription services HERE or by clicking any of the 10,000 or so graphics I've plastered all over this post.
* Some paperback retailers are already listed at that link above, but because "real" books take longer to get onto the book shelves, your best bet will be to search for the book by name or search my name at your preferred retailer. Or simply ask your local bookshop and/or library to order you a copy : )
Want to share Cassie's shenanigans with other book lovers?
All you have to do is ask your local library to purchase a copy of The Unexpected Mr Hopkins -- either in ebook or paperback format.
Don't be shy about this.
Most libraries LOVE acquiring new stuff and keeping their patrons happy. Plus, it's a great way not only to show your support for an author, but to share your favorite stories with others.
That's (Sort of) It...
Okay, that's about it for this special "buy my book" post.
However, if you haven't read them yet, keep scrolling for a couple sample chapters from and description of The Unexpected Mr Hopkins.
As ever, thanks to everyone who continues to read, review, and recommend my work. It means so much that you enjoy the wacky things my brain comes up with.
Happy Reading!
Want to try a Sample?
If you missed the sample prologue from Cassie's latest mishaps, you can read it HERE
And let's wrap things up with a description....
Morelli here. Cassie seems to find herself too busy eating pastries, breaking out of jail, and saving the Magic world (again) to bother with writing her own book description, so she’s fobbed the chore off on me.
Some people, am I right?
Anyway, Black refuses to let me see a single page of the manuscript, but since I was there for most of the story, I can tell you this book is going to be full of…
- Eager-for-battle ghosts,
- Misbehaving Tower ravens,
- On-call dragons,
- Spell-crafting elves,
- Rat-stomping trolls,
- A tiny bit of necromancy,
- And a very heroic (if I do say so myself) half-troll who just happens to like crochet and classic TV
And even though this tale features a big old battle against evil, there’s still plenty of Black’s wry humor, fantastical mystery, and silly situations. (Because, okay, I did manage to sneak a peek at a draft of Black’s manuscript… don’t tell her).
So, if you like contemporary fantasy filled with, well, all that stuff I just mentioned, you’ll love the twists and turns of this final installment of The Cassie Black Trilogy 2.0.
IMPORTANT, Somewhat Sales-y Note:
The Unexpected Mr Hopkins is the third book in The Cassie Black Trilogy 2.0.
Now, while you might enjoy a few of Cassie's hijinks, the story will only make sense if you've read the trilogy's previous two books: The Unusual Mayor Marheart and The Unbearable Inspector Oberlin. Both are available at most book retailers, so be sure to grab them today and gobble them up while you're waiting for Mr Hopkins to arrive.
And, if you want to see how Cassie Black's story started (amongst a bit of walking-dead mayhem), you'll want to pick up The Undead Mr. Tenpenny, Book 1 of The Cassie Black Trilogy 1.0... available where all laugh-out-loud books are sold.
Order your copy of The Unexpected Mr Hopkins today!
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But wait... if you're new here, there's one last sales-y tidbit...
If you haven't read the first Cassie Black books, now is an excellent time to start the series because...
Book One: The Undead Mr Tenpenny is a mere 99c/p on my Payhip Bookstore and a load of other retailers from now through 25 February!
Work at a funeral home can be mundane. Until you accidentally start bringing the dead back to life.
"...a clever, hilarious romp through a new magical universe" --Sarah Angleton, author of Gentleman of Misfortune
Cassie Black works at a funeral home. She's used to all manner of dead bodies. What she's not used to is them waking up. Which they seem to be doing on a disturbingly regular basis lately.
Just when Cassie thinks she has the problem under control, the recently deceased Busby Tenpenny insists he's been murdered and claims Cassie might be responsible thanks to a wicked brand of magic she's been exposed to. The only way for Cassie to get her life back to normal is to tame her magic and uncover Mr.
Tenpenny's true killer.
Simple right?
Of course not. Because while Cassie works on getting her newly acquired magic sorted, she's blowing up kitchens, angering an entire magical community, and discovering her past is more closely tied to Busby
Tenpenny than she could have ever imagined.
If you like comic fantasy whodunits with plenty of wry humor, a cast of unforgettable characters, a touch of paranormal mystery, and piles of pastries, you'll find it hard to pry yourself away from this first book of the Cassie Black Trilogy.
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LET’S STAY IN TOUCH!
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