5 Essentials for Every Grim Reaper

Congratulations! You’ve passed your test, you’ve beaten the odds, the Council of Reapers has officially certified you, and now you’re a fully licensed grim reaper! Before you head out on your first soul bounty, here are five things that are absolutely essential for every grim reaper:

The Perfect Handbag

You’ll want something that’s not too big, but not too small. It addition to your tools of the trade, there’s a variety of other things you’ll need to be carrying around on a daily basis. Being a grim reaper takes you to all sorts of interesting places and allows you to meet all sorts of fascinating people. Unfortunately, it can also take you to a lot of disgusting places and you can meet a lot of disgusting dead people. It’s best to have a little bit of everything on hand for every occasion, from perfume to extra lip gloss to hand sanitizer. Also, it doesn’t hurt to carry around some breath mints and an emergency tooth brush. Nobody wants to be collected by a grim reaper who hasn’t brushed their teeth in over twenty-four hours because they’ve been too busy.

 A Cool Car

Some might say it’s not cool to be seen driving a dead granny to the afterlife, but that’s a problem that’s easily solved: Get a cool car. It doesn’t matter what dead soul you’ve got in that backseat, everything looks better when it’s riding in a classic. Convertibles highly recommended.

A Good Sense of Timing

You don’t want to show up too soon or too late. How awkward would it be if you arrived to pick up Jack’s soul and Jack’s not dead yet? Egg on your face. Or what if you miss grabbing that dead guy at the nursing home and he ends up haunting the place for several days before you finally get there? Newsflash: old people are easily scared to death. You’re supposed to be gathering the dead, not making more of them.

A Sense of Style

Don’t walk around in a hooded robe. Just don’t. You’re perpetuating an ancient stereotype. Plus, it’s tacky. You’re going to be the last living person these poor souls ever see, why not send them out on a high note? Of course, just because you’re trying to be stylish doesn’t mean you can’t be sensible. A sexy pair of wedges and a pair of faded skinny jeans are going to be just as effective as a little black dress and four-inch stilettos. Remember, you’re representing Death, you need to look sexy and sharp.

Gloves

Easily the most important thing on this list. Seriously, you’re going to be touching more than a few dead bodies: Everyone from the old guy who passed away peacefully in his sleep, to the knucklehead who accidentally cut off his own head. Dead bodies might be icky, but it’s part of the job. Also, do you know how many diseases they carry? You’re a grim reaper, not a candidate to get reaped. Besides, no dead body is worth messing up the perfect nails. Glove it up.

Want some more tips and tricks of the trade? Be sure to read the entire Reapers in Heels:

To Love is to Die - The Last Reapers in Heels Book

I think a lot about endings. The tv shows we watch, the movies we see, the books we read. With each one I always find myself wondering how it's going to end, or, even more appropriately these days, if it's going to end.

Comic books go on ad nauseam. For decades Superman has been fighting Lex Luther, over the same issues, too. Sure, it's a "never ending battle" but really? Some times there are tweaks, minor differences: for the longest time Clark and Lois were married. Now it's Superman and Wonder Woman who are romantically linked.

TV shows aren't much better. Sometimes you get a Lost or a Battlestar Galactica. And there's a little trickery there, trying to make you believe they had a plan along, that the show always had a ending. But more often than not, you get the X-Files, or The Big Bang Theory, where the premise is just run into the ground. And you're sitting there, watching the actors grow old and age right past the ages they're supposed to be playing. And you wonder why isn't this show canceled? Why aren't we trying something new? Why aren't we looking for the next big thing, rather than grinding the current big thing down until there's nothing left?

And movies? We just reboot. How many more times are we going to see Superman’s origin? How many different versions of James Bond are there going to be?

In today's market, I wonder if it isn't so much stories we're being sold, as it is commodities.

And books aren't exempt from this. Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series? It got so bad that I knew exactly what to expect before I even cracked open the book.

I think a lot about endings.

Of course, then there's the question of what we want vs. what we need. There are some characters who are so well defined and developed that we want to spend as much time with them as we can. We don't care if their story never ends, because they've become our friends and who wants their friends to leave? But unless our friends leave, how will we ever have the opportunity to make new friends? Most of us are creatures of habit. Many of us need to be given a kick, a push, to try something new. But if we've got something that's already scratching a particular itch, why try anything new? I have Superman, what do I need another messianic-style superhero for? I have Star Trek, what do I need Star Wars, or Battlestar Galactica or Farscape for? I have Steven King, what do I need Joe Hill for?

I think it’s important for us to embrace endings in our stories. Nothing should go on forever. And can you really appreciate something until it’s over? In endings we have the opportunity to make a clean break and try something new.

Right now it’s definitely time to call it a day for Reapers in Heels. This is the first series I’ve brought to a close. It was born out of an experiment to do something a little more mainstream. I don’t think it quite worked as well as I hoped it would have. But in the end, I think it worked out perfectly for me.

I think that in order for me to be able to try new things, experiment some more, I had to bring Reapers to a proper ending. After Death, Debutantes, and Diamonds, I had no intention of writing anymore Reapers in Heels. But that book wasn’t really an ending. Sure, it ended, but it didn’t really close out the story of Avery and Brooke.

So here we have it, The End of Reapers in Heels. Is it any good? I sure hope so. I mean, I think it is. Right now, at least. I’m writing this blog post only a few hours after finishing the book. In the next day or so I’ll start editing it and I’ll think it’s the biggest pile of crap ever. But then I’ll get to the end and I’ll realize that it wasn’t so bad after all. Happens every time. With every single book. Just ask my wife, she’ll tell you.

But the real question is whether you, dear readers, like it? I really hope you do. I put a lot of work into these stories and I hope you guys enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

Now that I’ve closed the book on Avery and Brooke, I’m going to try a few new things in the coming months. I’ve got a couple of ideas, stuff that’ll hopefully appeal to you guys and new readers. At least one series, a proper full length book, and maybe series of books that aren’t really connected. And, hey, if nothing else, I’ve got Alex Cheradon Volume 4 coming.

Thanks for reading, guys. Without any further ado, I give you the final Reapers in Heels book:

This is the end. 

Stanley Morris is a loan shark. A low life. A thief. A con man. A man of questionable ethics and morality. He is also a lover. He is a fighter. He is from London, England and he is an only child. 

Up until six months ago he was Brooke Graves’ boyfriend. Most of the time. 

However, for the last six months, Stanley Morris has been in a coma and Brooke has been wracked with confusion and guilt. She didn’t know what to do with her life. She didn’t know how she felt. All she knew was that Stanley Morris was in a coma and it was her fault. 

But eventually Brooke came to terms with her decisions, with her life. 

Then three weeks ago Stanley Morris woke up from his coma. When he woke, though, he wasn’t Stanley Morris anymore. The man he is now is a monster. 

Stanley Morris was many things. But he wasn’t a monster. 

The monster is in control now and he’s on a collision course with everyone. Including the Graves’ sisters. 

This is the end.

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Black Friday - Reapers in Heels

Reapers in Heels

(This series is recommended for Mature Readers)

When a dead soul goes renegade you call a grim reaper. And when you’re in Century City, you call the Graves sisters.

Avery and Brooke Graves are two of the best reapers in town. For them, hunting down a renegade dead soul is easy, hunting for a good man, however, is a whole ‘nother challenge.

What Readers Are Saying:

"...wise cracking, butt kicking, fun mystery that is a great read!"

"...great chemistry between the two (sisters) and I found myself laughing and smiling at their conversations throughout the entire book."

"True characters with relatable personalities. I'm hooked on the whole series."

11am - 11pm EST

Each book $0.99

11pm - 11am EST

Each book $1.99

Get Them Here Now!

 

What I'm Working On Right Now

So I wanted to wait until I had a decent amount typed up and locked in place before I officially announced what my next project was. And with almost a third-ish of the book done, I feel comfortable doing that now.

After writing 8 Alex Cheradon books back-to-back, I wanted to step away from his wacky world for a little bit and take a break. I've had this idea for sci-fi series that I've been trying to get around to for the last year and a half and I thought this was going to be the perfect time to dig into it. Unfortunately, after breaking a loose outline and starting work on, the series still wasn't coming together. So it got pushed back. Again. I'm starting to feel a little bad for the characters.

But. Now I had some time on my hands. I still wasn't ready to get back into Alex. Although, I am hoping to get the next volume of AC out around January-ish. Hopefully. Fingers crossed.

Instead, after listening to my wife and a couple of readers, I decided to revisit Reapers in Heels.

That's right. I'm doing a third volume of Reapers in Heels!

Tell your friends! Shout it from the rooftops!

Okay, maybe it's not that exciting. Or maybe it is. I've gotten a few emails here and there over the last year wondering if there were going to be any more RiH. Well, here you guys go.

So, what are the deets about the new volume?

-It's going to be 3 books.

-I can't announce any titles yet because I haven't settled on a theme. But I'm probably looking towards something involving the word 'Love' or maybe something having to do with shoes again.

-To prepare myself for writing these, I went back and reread the entire series (which, honestly, kind of felt like a narcissistic thing for me to do. Rereading my own work? Really?). It was actually something of a necessity for me, because as I was outlining Volume 3, I had a sneaking suspicion that some of my ideas felt rather familiar. And they were. Because I had already done them. So. Yeah. I definitely had to reread everything. But it's all fresh in my mind now. During the review of the first two volumes I made some corrections, tweaked a few things, nothing too major. Nothing that necessitates a reread. I realized that I don't pay attention to what I'm naming my characters and I had ended up with a lot of Steves and a couple of Lauras in one book. So I tweaked what I could, without making any major waves. Probably the biggest change was changing Alpha Reaper Steve Grant to Alan Grant. I kept Steve the Bartender the same and Steven Russell the same, when I realized that I almost never to referred to Russell beyond just Russell. But, I have learned my lesson and I am taking much better care of naming characters this time around.

-Because of the all rereading and editing I had to do on the first two volumes of RiH, the plan, right now, is to just plow through these 3 books all at once. I'm gonna write them back-to-back, and then edit them back-to-back, and then, probably (maybe), release them all at once, too. Maybe. I don't know. This could change. We'll see. Of course, you guys will be the first to know.

-And here's the part that'll make this announcement a little more bittersweet than you would like: It'll probably be the last 3 Reapers in Heels books. For reals this time. I'm writing these with the intent of bringing a conclusion to Avery and Brooke's character arcs. I'm going to do my best to answer as many questions and solve as many mysteries as I can. But there may be one or two things that slip through the characters. If nothing else, though, these 3 books will definitely serve as a "The End" for the Graves sisters.

(Unless, of course, I end up selling a million copies. In which case, I'm totally up for selling out again. Or, at the very least, creating a spin off.)

Okay. I think that's everything. Unless anybody has any questions? Feel free to ask. You guys are the best so you should definitely keep your eyes peeled next week because I'm pretty sure I'm going to release the first chapter sometime after Monday.

Alright. I need to get back to work now.

What's Going On

So, here's what's going on right now. An update, if you will, of the various projects here at One Stray Word.

The Good News

Alex Cheradon Volume 2 is trucking along. We're on track for probably 5 total installments in this volume. There was going to be 6, but I'm making cuts so things don't seem padded out. I'm probably either just at or now approaching the halfway mark of Book 3, which still has the unfortunate title of "?????" At some point in the near future, I'll probably have to come up with a real title...

The only deadlines I have are self imposed ones and I kind of blew those. The original plan was to have the 3rd AC book out by the end of June. I was supposed to have finished writing it before my wife and I took off for our anniversary (6 years!) vacation and then do edits on it when we came back. That did not happen. So, I'm working on get back on schedule and, with any luck, I'll get it set up so that you get the last 3 AC books on a monthly-ish basis.

I had a beta reader (Thanks, Mary!) go through two of my older books, Just Dial 911 for Assistance and Explorers of the Unknown. Both books are grammatically cleaned up now. Explorers has been reissued, but I'm holding Just Dial 911 back because my wife and I really think this book could be something a lot better. So, after I'm done with the current volume of Alex Cheradon, I'm hoping to do a rewrite/expansion of Just Dial 911 into it's own volume/season. Basically, the idea would be to expand the book from a first person narrative into an ensemble cast, focusing on two or three other people from the 911 call center. I want this book to really fulfill it's original premise, which was "West Wing, but for 911 Call Centers."

My niece and I outlined the first three books of the Castle Sisters Volume 2. The plan was to start writing them in time for her birthday in November. I'm gonna try really hard to hold to that plan.

The Bad News

A couple of these you might have already guessed.

No Outlawed Love follow-up. Sorry guys, my heart's just not into it. It's probably never going to happen. Sorry.

There probably won't be anymore Cupid's Daughter, either. This book is about the closest thing to an actual bomb that I have. We had a quota, a sales threshold if you will, that we wanted to CD to reach before continuing with the series and it didn't even come close. It didn't even come into the vincity of close. We sold, like, 15 copies in 2012. And last time I checked for 2013, we'd only sold 5. Maybe it would have sold better if I had released the entire series all at once? I don't know. But it's been a horrible failure. I won't say that we'll never get anymore Cupid's Daughter books, but it's not looking good.

Reapers in Heels. Okay, this is the tough one. Again, I'm not going to say Never. I mean, I've got notes and outlines for Volumes 3 & 4 sitting on my hard drive here. I've got plans for these characters. But the series just hasn't been selling. In December 2011 when we launched RiH, One Stiletto in the Grave sold 206 copies. But then for the entirety of 2012, One Stiletto only sold 213 copies. And the numbers just went downhill from here.

Reapers in Heels 2012 Sales Numbers

And for 2013, the entire series has been in the mid to low single digits.

The point of RiH was to reach out to a larger audience. But it ain't working. I don't know what happened, but the larger audience is not picking up on it. Again, I'm not gonna say Never, but there would have to be dramatic increase in sales before we see any future volumes. This series needs to be profitable for it to continue. 

That said, if you've been following me on Facebook, though, you'll know that I've tried pitching RiH to a couple of different of comic book publishers. No luck yet, but my wife and I are definitely looking into the possibility of the series continuing in another format.

Overall, though, our book sales have taken a real dive this year. Everything's dropped into the single digits. I don't know why this is. I don't know how to fix it. It's not great. It certainly bums me out. But it is what it is.

Jon Acuff had a great post today about God's calendar vs ours, which was timely considering our frustrations over the declining book sales. Because it is very frustrating. We both work very hard on these books. But at the end of the day, you just have to leave things in God's hands. It's lesson that we need to be reminded often. My wife and I continue to pray about the books everyday and, really, that's all we can do. Which is also timely, considering our current devotional we've been studying is about praying more often. It's almost as though somebody's trying to tell me something....

So, for now, we're focusing on projects that are near and dear to me like Alex Cheradon, the Castle Sisters and Just Dial 911. Although, I do have this older sci-fi trilogy sitting on my hard drive that I've been trying to find a way to release for almost a year now. It's written, but it needs some editing and maybe the ending needs to be tweaked just ever so slightly. But otherwise, it's a complete package. I kick myself every day that goes by without it getting released. So, that's probably gonna get on the schedule somewhere.

I think that's everything. Kind of feels like I'm ending this on a downer, so, uh, here's a picture of some kittens:

Death, Debutantes and Diamonds

Here it is, the startling conclusion to Reapers in Heels Volume 2!

---RECOMMENDED FOR MATURE READERS---

There are two sets of laws in this world: The Law of the Living and the Law of the Dead. And the Graves Sisters are getting caught between them both.

Avery’s love life will suffer as she cannot maintain the romance amongst the wickedness of death.

Brooke struggles with what she knows to be true and the pursuits of her heart.

There are dark days ahead for the Graves Sisters...

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To celebrate this release, we've collected Volume 1:

This collected edition contains:

ONE STILETTO IN THE GRAVE

DEATH WEARS STILETTOS

A GRAVE FULL OF STILETTOS

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Nook

And, for this weekend only, Kindle users can pick up DEATH & STILETTOS for only $1.99. So, if you haven't yet, grab a copy, gift a couple to your friends, and get started on this sizzling series!

Remember, you don't actually need a Kindle anymore to download a Kindle book. Thanks to things like apps for your iPad or smartphone or even the Kindle cloud reader, you can download and read a Kindle book anywhere. All you really need is a Amazon account.

New Kindle? New Nook?

Did you get a new Kindle? A new Nook? Perhaps a new iPad or Google tablet? Might I humbly recommend a few books for you to break it in with?

Death & Stilettos: The Complete Reapers in Heels Volume 1 is now available in one collected edition for Kindle and Nook readers.

Reapers in Heels in a urban fantasy romance series recommended for Mature Readers.

Grim Reapers are real. And they are bounty hunters of the dead.

They are governed by the Council of Reapers and are responsible for the capture and containment of dead souls that refuse to or cannot move on to the afterlife.

Avery and Brooke Graves are two such reapers in Century City. 

For them, hunting down a renegade dead soul is easy. Hunting for a good man, however, is a whole 'nother challenge.

Sex, love and death. It's everything you could possibly want.

-------------------------------

This is the complete first volume of Reapers in Heels. It collects 3 previously published installments:

ONE STILETTO IN THE GRAVE

After what was supposed to be a simple double homicide at the Kirkland Motel the Graves sisters end up with more than they bargained for.

DEATH WEARS STILETTOS

Jack and Cindy were a happily married couple. She was an elementary school teacher. He was an aspiring children's book author. They had the perfect life together, until the day they decided to kill themselves. Their souls never arrived in the afterlife and now it's up Avery and Brooke to find out where these deceased lovers have wandered off to.

A GRAVE FULL OF STILETTOS

Lori Standford's mother died six months ago, but she's too terrified to grieve properly. It seems Mommy Standford is back, haunting Lori out of her home. With nowhere else to go, Lori turns to the Graves sisters for help.

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Nook

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The Castle Sisters and the Impossible Rescue: The Complete Castle Sisters Volume 1 is also available in a collected edition for everybody!

The Castle Sisters is an All-Ages Science Fiction Adventure series for the whole family.

Faith and Summer Castle are the ultimate crime fighting duo. 

And they're not even old enough to drive. 

Faith has the super smarts and Summer brings the super brawn. 

The forces of darkness are gathering and the battle between good and evil has reached a pivotal turning point. 

When their Uncle gets kidnapped by the evil Agent Dark and the mysterious organization known only as the Tancredi Group, the Castle Sisters find themselves in the middle of that very battle. 

It’s an adventure that will take the sisters from the concrete jungles of New York, to the frozen wastelands of the arctic, and to dimensions beyond our own. 

The fate of the world may hang in the balance, but it’s just another day for the Castle Sisters.

Collecting all five installments:

The Impossible Rescue

The Arctic Isle of Doom

The Invasion of the Imaginary Friends

The Mall of Eternity

The Doomsday Device

Printed Edition $15.95

Buy from Amazon

Buy from Createspace

Digital Edition $7.99

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New Books, New Post

Been a while since I've done a post. So here's one to get you all caught up on everybody's favorite grim reapers:

Book #6

There are so many ways to die in Century City...

The El Diamantes and the Death Doctors have been at each other’s throats for years, two warring gangs battling for control of Century City. Last night their battle took a turn for the worse and dozens were killed.

Now, racing against the clock, Avery and Brooke must hunt down the distressed souls of the deceased gang members before they haunt the living to their own early graves.

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___________________________________

Book #7

Two days ago Morgan Gordon dropped dead. And nobody noticed.

Including the Council of Reapers.

So Morgan Gordon kept on living his life, with no one the wiser.

There is a structure and order to the nature of death, and thanks to the fallout from Messor & Decessus there simply aren’t enough grim reapers available to maintain the order between the living and the dead.

And, as usual, Avery and Brooke Graves are caught in the middle of it.

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And then, just to tease you: Book 8, Death, Debutants and Diamonds, rolls out late December, bringing Volume 2 of Reapers in Heels in an Earth-shattering conclusion!!

New RiH Book: No Diamonds Upon Death

The new Reapers in Heels book is finally here!

Death has a way of uncovering truths...

With her boyfriend in a coma, Brooke is slowly spiraling out of control and desperately trying to cover up her pain, but instead is being overwhelmed with guilt.

Avery, however, has her own problems, in addition to trying to keep her sister alive. It’s up to her to hold the family business together and to save her relationship with her boyfriend. And each task is becoming harder with every passing day.

William Raines is a dead man, found on a dock, miles away from where he was killed. Raines has been implicated in Century City’s biggest diamond heist and now his soul has disappeared. But is he on the run, or is it something else altogether?

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Smashwords
Nook
Kobo

I'll update this post as the book becomes available on the Nook, iBookstore and Kobo.

Sorry it's been such a long gap between books 4 & 5. Scheduling problems are behind us now and there should a new Reapers in Heels book every month through December, wrapping up Volume 2!

Want to save three bucks and get the book for free? Leave a review on One Stiletto in the Grave. Take a snapshot of it and email it to me at onestrayword@gmail.com. On Oct. 5 I'll randomly pick 2 people to get a free copy of NO DIAMONDS UPON DEATH.

One last thing...

If you haven't already, would you mind filling out this brief little survey? I'd love to get to know you better.

Remember, you don't actually need a Kindle anymore to download a Kindle book. Thanks to things like apps for your iPad or smartphone or even the Kindle cloud reader, you can download and read a Kindle book anywhere. All you really need is a Amazon account.

Coming Soon!

Clear your reading schedule for June, because there's a new Reapers in Heels coming! Special thanks to my wife for helping me with cover.

Project Updates

Here's what's up:

I just wrapped up the first draft of the second Castle Sisters book, THE ARCTIC ISLE OF DOOM! My first drafts are pretty close to my final drafts, so with the exception of some dialogue tweaking and editing its more or less done. This was originally going to be an April release, but now it's looking more like mid-May. But if it's done, why am I not releasing it until May? Because I'm starting work on the third Castle Sisters book right away, so editing and cover design for Book 2 is going to take a backseat for a week or so. Although, I plan on being stuck in an airplane at the beginning of May for a few hours, so I might get some of the heavy editing done then.

As soon as I nail down the cover for Book 2, I'll post it here.

In case you're wondering, I've outlined for 5 installments in what I'm considering Volume 1 of the Castle Sisters. So, fingers crossed that if everything goes according to plan, the next 4 books will roll out monthly, or twice monthly, starting May.

Here's a sneak peek at what's coming after The Castle Sisters V1 wraps:

-Reapers in Heels V2. This'll be another three books at least, maybe four. Haven't worked out all the details. I'm retiring the 'stiletto' title theme. I think each volume will have it's own little title theme, but I haven't decided what V2's will be.

-New Alex Cheradon books! Are you as excited as I am? Because I'm pretty excited! These will be written in my new, shorter style, where I plan out a volume of books, much like a season of a TV show(Like I'm doing with RiH and The Castle Sisters). So, basically, I'm getting to launch the Alex Cheradon TV show I've always wanted to do. Since the first three Alex books are standard full length novels, I'm not sure what the designation breakdown will be for the new installments. I'm toying with the idea of treating the first three books like TV movies, and then call these upcoming books Volume 1. I don't know how many installments you can expect from this new volume of Alex, but it'll probably somewhere between four and five. I can tell you that there will be a nice digital omnibus edition of Fruitbasket from Hell, A is for Amnesia, B is for Bullet and Little People, Big Crimes. It'll be price all nice and cheap so that'll be easy for new readers to jump onboard and get caught up. Alex has gotten lost in the shuffle a bit over the last year, but that's all about to change!

-Print!! I'm hoping to roll out print editions of RiH, Alex Cheradon, Outlawed Love and, of course, all of the Castle Sisters this year. It'll take a bit of time, but you'll finally be able to recommend my books to all of your friends who haven't got a Kindle or Nook yet.

In addition to all that, there's one or two mystery projects that my wife and I are still discussing. We're doing pro/con lists and waiting to see how quickly I turn a project around in this new style. But, the above RiH, Castle Sisters and Alex books are a lock. I'm committed to those series.

A Grave Full of Stilettos

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So, it's here finally. The 3rd Reapers in Heels book. I'll let the book speak for itself:

Things are heating up in Century City.

Brooke Graves, against her better judgment, has decided to reconnect with her ex Stanley Morris. He may be a man with questionable morals, but he has a lot of love for this half of Century City’s prettiest grim reaping team.

Avery Graves is finding herself torn between the affections of two men. She wants to do the right thing and stay true to her loyal boyfriend, but her heart may have other ideas.

Lori Standford’s mother died six months ago, but she’s too terrified to grieve properly. It seems Mommy Standford is back, haunting Lori out of her home. With nowhere else to go, Lori turns to the Graves sisters for help.

This time the girls don’t have to hunt down a renegade dead soul, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be any easier.

You can, of course, buy it now or wait until it goes free next week. Either way is fine, just be sure to spread the word if you liked it.

This'll be the last Reapers in Heels book for a couple of months. I've been working on grim reapers in one form or another since July of last year and I need a break. I've got a few other projects that I want to get out before starting on another the Graves sisters book. RiH will probably return some time in the Fall with a new title theme (I think I exhausted all variations of stilettos and graves). Maybe, if there's any interest, after the book's been out for a few weeks I'll do a Q&A if you guys had any particular questions about the series.

Speaking of Reapers in Heels and free: Book 2 is currently free for the next three days. Now's the time to grab it and spread the word!

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I Look Around and All I See is Free

So, I'm doing a, I don't know, free tour? Between Feb 22nd and March 9th I'll have a bunch of books for free. Specifically, I'll have these books for free:

Free 02/22/12 - 02/24/12

Free 02/25/12 - 02/27/12

Free 02/28/12 - 03/01/12

Free 03/02/12 - 03/03/12

Free 03/04/12 - 03/06/12

Free 03/07/12 - 03/09/12

Every book is getting a two or three day promotion. 

You may want to ask me: "Jason, why are you giving away so many books?"

To which I would answer:

I'm giving away so many books in hopes of selling even more.

This is how it works:

A book goes free.

The more people that download it, the higher it goes on the Free Bestseller lists.

The higher the book gets on all the lists, the more visibility it gets.

When the book switches back over to paid it'll end up with a higher ranking and it'll be positioned in a lot of Also Boughts (That's the selection of books you see on every page. Customers who bought this also bought...).

And, again, the more Also Boughts the book is on, the more visibility it gets.

The ultimate goal would be to get into the Top 10 Free Books, in hopes that when they go back to paid, my books will be well within the Top 100 or higher.

If you see something you like, make sure you get it and tell all of your friends! 

Remember, you don't actually need a Kindle anymore to download a Kindle book. Thanks to things like apps for your iPad or smartphone or even the Kindle cloud reader, you can download and read a Kindle book anywhere. All you really need is a Amazon account.

So, please, make sure you grab a copy for yourself and please, please, please spread the word!

Sneak Peek: A Grave Full of Stilettos

It's finished!! Proofreaders are going over it now and the third Reapers in Heels book, A GRAVE FULL OF STILETTOS, should be out by the 29th. Worried that you might miss the release date? Just fill out that form to your right and you'll get an email just as soon as the book is available for purchase.

Now, to get you all excited, here's a peek at the first 1,300 words. Be sure to tell all of your friends to buy the book, okay? Thanks.

one

Lori Standford settles in to her chair with a hot cup of tea and good book in hand, preparing herself for a quiet night at home.

Wisps of steam drift off her tea and swirling around, filling her nose with the scent of chamomile. The purple mug reminds her of times past when she graduated from college. Her mother had stood there so proud and clapping so loud as Lori accepted her diploma. The purple mug was waiting for Lori when she got back to her dorm that night. “Word’s Smartest Daughter” is emblazoned on it in thick gold letters.

The memory makes her sad. 

It’s only been a few months but the wounds are still raw and not for the first time, Lori wonders if she shouldn’t have just sold her mother’s house, rather than moving in.

It’s a big house, filled with nooks, crannies and ghosts of memories.

Lori shakes her head. No, she did the right thing. It was bad enough to lose her mother. But her childhood home? Lori wasn’t ready to part with everything just yet.

She gently blows on the hot tea, trying to cool it down to a bearable temperature. Hot tea before bed with her mother is a fond memory.

Lori sighs and gives in to the sadness. She misses her mom.

She sets the book aside, there wouldn’t be any reading tonight. No, tonight she is going to let her memories keep her company. Maybe she’d rediscover a forgotten nugget of wisdom her mother had passed down her to her.

Lori smiles. Maybe she’d figure out how to boil water for her tea without burning the roof of her mouth. She’s pretty sure her mother told her once or twice how to get that right.

The noise startles her immediately. At first she thinks it’s a bird flying into one of the upstairs windows.

But then it happens again.

Lori sets her “Word’s Smartest Daughter” mug and gets to her feet.

It’s a pounding noise. A heavy noise, as though someone was dropping a bags of bricks against the floor above her.

Lori walks carefully to the entrance of her living room. She hears whispers now.

Whispers?

“Hello?” Lori calls out. “Is anybody there?”

She feels immediately silly. Of course there’s no one there. It’s just Lori. All alone in the empty house.

Except the pounding noise isn’t coming from outside.

And the whispers aren’t in her head.

“Hello?” Lori says again, stepping into the hallway.

She catches sight of it for a second out of the corner of her eye. It’s a fleeting image, flickering away like a broken movie reel. She forgets about it almost immediately.

The blood dripping from her walls has Lori’s complete attention.

After that, the night’s a blur of screams and nightmares.

Death Wears Stilettos

So, it's here. Now available for your Kindle.

When a dead soul goes renegade you call a grim reaper. And when you’re in Century City, you call Avery and Brooke, the Graves sisters.

Jack and Cindy were a happily married couple. She was an elementary school teacher. He was an aspiring children’s book author. They had the perfect life together, until the day they decided to kill themselves. Their souls never arrived in the afterlife and now it’s up Avery and Brooke to find out where these deceased lovers have wandered off to.

Hunting down a pair of dead lovers isn’t the only thing on Brooke’s to-do list. Her love life is a mess with too many men, too many options and not enough time. And what starts out as a meaningless fling for her quickly moves to something more serious for him.

Love, death, relationships and sparkly shoes. It’s just another day for Century City’s prettiest grim reapers.

Kindle US

Kindle UK

Kindle Germany

Kindle France

Kindle Spain

Kindle Italy

Not only that, but I'm discounting Book 1, ONE STILETTO IN THE GRAVE to $0.99 until Friday January 13th at Midnight.

So, to recap: New book now available, old book is on sale at an awesome price. What more could you possible ask for?

Tell your friends, get your copies and start reading!

Happy Holidays

So, to celebrate Christmas and the launch of the Reapers in Heels series, I wrote a short story.

It’s Christmas Eve in Century City and all Avery Graves wants is magical evening with her wonderful boyfriend. What she gets instead is nightmare before Christmas when the local Scrooge dies and starts haunting the Twin Pines Mall. He’s determined to spread holiday gloom and it’s up to Avery and Brooke Graves, the city’s favorite reapers in heels, to round up this Scrooge of a ghost before it’s too late.

DEAD FOR THE HOLIDAYS is a short story approximately 5,500 words.

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Isn't that a cute cover?

Dead for the Holidays is currently free for your Kindle through Sunday 19th. I urge you to download a copy and tell your friends to download a copy. I want this short story to the most downloaded story this weekend!

If you've read One Stiletto in the Grave already and are curious about the continuity of these two stories, it's quite simple: Dead for the Holidays takes place about a year prior to the start of One Stiletto in the Grave. If you haven't read One Stiletto in the Grave yet, then don't worry about it.

So, let's shoot for a Christmas miracle here, folks! One million downloads over the next five days! Let's go!


AMAZON US


AMAZON UK


AMAZON GERMANY


AMAZON FRANCE


AMAZON SPAIN


AMAZON ITALY

One More Day

UPDATE....A FEW MINUTES LATER

Whoops, looks like I spoke too soon. Amazon just discontinued the free promotion. ONE STILETTO IN THE GRAVE is back on the paid list, but still free to Amazon Prime members, of course. Don't let this stop you from buying a copy, though!
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So, apparently when I said "December 13th at Midnight, Pacific Standard Time" I meant December 14th at Midnight, Pacific Standard Time? I don't know if it's my goof or Amazon's, but One Stiletto in the Grave is free for one more day! So, you know, get a copy and tell a million friends to do the same.

Thanks.

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

AMAZON GERMANY

AMAZON FRANCE

AMAZON SPAIN

AMAZON ITALY