That time a detecting dragon walked into an eating contest (BOOK RELEASE)

Hello Readers!

Now, I know the upcoming sentence might have had my medieval ancestors scrambling around in a panic, grabbing pointy farm implements, and locking up any vulnerable maidens, but...

A dragon is on the loose!

Okay, granted he's only on the loose on several retailers' bookshelves, and he'd probably be more interested in omelets than maidens, but nevertheless, Duncan has been let loose to wreak sleuthing havoc and deliver bad puns once again.

In other words...

It's release day for Beast or Famine: The Circus of Unusual Creatures #4 (that's your cue to shout "hoorah!")

Once you've finished with your hoorah-ing, below you'll find...

Some gushing thanks
Colorful graphics (aka "evidence of me procrastinating")
Cobblestones of Doom
All the many and marvelous ways you can get your copy
A sample from the collection and it's description
Some early reviews
A striking absence of cake and champagne. Sorry, I'm still catching up on chores after vacation.

The gushing thanks bit...

I owe a HUGE THANKS to all of you from my review team and from the Ripping Scribblers Writing Group who read the book and gave me your feedback.

This was especially helpful because, as I've mentioned about a billion times before (or so it feels), I wrote Beast or Famine so people who are new to the series would be able to jump right in without feeling too confused.

That was my plan, anyway.

I didn't really know if my writing skills were cunning enough until I received your lovely feedback that things did indeed make sense.

Phew!

Also, as always, your wonderful comments serve as fuel to keep me putting pen to paper.

So thank you!!!

Oh, and many many MANY thanks to my writerly friends who help share the book with your own readers -- you're the greatest!!!

And then there's the astounding number of you who I have to thank for pre-ordering Beast or Famine, and... well, this gratitude thing could go on for far too long, so how about we continue on with the celebrating?

Stumbling over the Creativity Cobblestones of Doom

I don't want to spoil the mood of the party by saying this book was a misery to write, but it kind was.

First was the Wonky Arm Issue, which only fully healed up a couple months ago. If you missed that drama, basically, I earned my title of Disaster Queen by injuring myself nearly to point of immobility doing.... wait, for it.... needlework.

This meant typing the first draft was a "get the words out while screaming in pain" endeavor. And might explain why that first draft was so horrendous.

And of course, as noted in the last newsletter, this was the year my brain decided it didn't want to play along nicely with being humorous, so it probably took until the third draft before I could get any hilarity into the novel.

(Don't worry, the brain problem has been resolved and hilarity has been unleashed all over the place!)

All that's to say, it took long time for me to actually like this book, but by the fourth draft, I really was loving it. The jokes are as stupid as ever, the characters started being their silly selves, and the story line got all its layers delightfully sorted.

And weirdly enough, after all that stumbling over the creativity cobblestones, after nearly chucking the book into the bin sometime around the second draft, this turned out to be my favorite Duncan book so far.

And since I think you'll like it too, let's stop all this sappy gratefulness and reflection and sell you some books!

Even better than surviving the Cobblestones of Doom...

Early reviewers didn't hate Beast or Famine!

Again, many thanks to my review team. I know your reading lists are longer than a sea voyage with a directionally challenged captain, so I appreciate you getting to it so quickly.

And for the rest of you, here's what a few of your fellow readers have had to say about Beast or Famine...

"The who-done-it plot keeps you guessing while the dialog assaults you with humor."
"Plenty of laughs, plenty of action, and I'm just loving this series more and more with each book. A complete delight!"
"...may be the best of them so far. It's funny and touching and full of puns and twists."
"Talk about a daring dragony tale of circus-sized proportions! Like the other books in this series, I had a ton of fun with this ...If you love dragons, mischief, and a little bit of mayhem, you can't go wrong with this one!"
"This is a series that keeps getting better..."

Golly, talk about making a girl blush ; )

Ebooks and Paperbacks, Big 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 Beast or Famine...

As an ebook on my Payhip Bookstore (at a slight Release Day discount!)
As an ebook at most major ebook retailers
As an ebook through a few subscription services (Kobo Plus, Scribd, Hoopla)
As a paperback on a handful of retailers. (The paperback options are a bit slim right now, but more retailers will trickle in over the next week or so since the print side of publishing tends to be a bit slower to get things listed.)

On a budget?

Want to share the book with other book lovers?

All you have to do is simply ask your local library to purchase a copy of Beast or Famine -- either in ebook or paperback format.

Don't be shy about this.

Most libraries LOVE acquiring new stuff and keeping their patrons happy, and it's a great way not only to show your support for an author, but to share your favorite books with others.

Want to support your local bookstore?

You can do exactly that by popping into your neighborhood bookshop and requesting a paperback copy of Beast or Famine.

Just give them the title and author, or provide them this ISBN: 979 822 369 7602

That's (Sort of) It...

Okay, that's about it for this "buy my book" post.

However, if you haven't read them yet, keep scrolling for a tasty sample and description of Beast or Famine.

As ever, thanks to everyone who continues to read and recommend my work. It means so much that you enjoy the wacky things my brain comes up with.

Happy Reading!!

BOF quote 2

Want to try a Sample?

If you missed the sample of Duncan's latest antics, you can read a taste-tempting chapter HERE

And, finally, the Description...

A seaside eating contest.
A cheating, song-stealing, and all-around-no-good ex.
And a chain-smoking unicorn doling out dating advice.

What could possibly go wrong?

The Circus of Unusual Creatures has been invited to perform as the feature act at the Seaside Family Fun Fair’s annual eating contest.

Right from the start, trouble is brewing. Trouble that, to everyone’s surprise, has (almost) nothing to do with Fergus now referring to himself as The Love Guru.

Besides foul moods over the weather, the working conditions, and sand wedging itself, well, everywhere, tempers truly flare when Molly’s ex-husband, Albert, shows up for the competition.

Albert has a bad track record. He’s cheated in a previous eating contest, he’s stolen Molly’s music, and he’s got an ogre-sized secret that could destroy the fun fair.

So, when the competition turns deadly, Duncan — dragon and amateur sleuth — has a long list of people who wouldn’t mind sending Albert six feet under. Problem is, two of his friends are the most likely suspects.

Matters only get worse when Duncan discovers Zin has agreed to a partnership that's smellier than a rotting sack of fish heads.

Plus, Pepper’s been so busy prepping food for the contest, she’s failed to keep up with Duncan’s omelet needs.

Seriously, no dragon should have to sleuth in these conditions.

Can Duncan find the killer before they strike again? Will Zin lose his circus to this partnership? What relationship disasters will Fergus cause? And what is up with those ogres?

Find out in Beast or Famine, the latest installment of The Circus of Unusual Creatures Mystery series.

~ ~ ~

Although it's the fourth book in the series, Beast or Famine is a great way to jump into Circus of Unusual Creatures Mysteries.

If you like comic fantasy whodunnits that mix in laughs with murderous mayhem and mythical beasts, you'll love, not only this silly story, but also the first three books in the series: Hoard It All Before, Tipping the Scales, and Fangs a Million.

Set in a 1930s that’s just a tad different than what you’re used to, The Circus of Unusual Creatures is a delightfully humorous and fantastical mystery series that features a detecting dragon, an aura-spotting centaur, a chain-smoking unicorn, and plenty of other quirky characters getting into all kinds of trouble as they stumble their way through clues, crimes, and perfectly cooked omelets.

What readers (who I only had to bribe a little) have to say about the series so far...

“Light and fanciful with a darn good mystery woven in. What fun!” (Hoard It All Before)
"I gobbled this book up like Duncan (the main character) gobbles up omelets! It was so entertaining, so laugh-out-loud funny, I finished it in two days!!!" (Fangs a Million)
“…a charming tale of dragons, deception, and dastardly deeds, and I loved every minute of it.” (Tipping the Scales)
“…an excellent read, very funny - I was kept on the edge of my seat not knowing what was going to happen next. Well worth reading…this hilarious series” (Tipping the Scales)
"...an entertaining addition to the series and should delight readers of cozies who enjoy a dash of oddball flavor." (Fangs a Million)
“Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down…it was that good!” (Hoard It All Before)
"This book is both hilariously funny and an unpredictable whodunnit - highly recommended" (Fangs a Million)