January 2015

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Dear Readers:

I hope you had a wonderful new year and a good holiday season. Our open house was wonderful, and we really enjoyed seeing old friends and a few new friends. Our winter solstice was also really nice, Samwise and I celebrated alone this year with our kitties. We missed our Meerclar-the first year in 21 years she hasn't been with us during the holidays, but our special ornament for the year was a black porcelain kitty, and we hung it in her honor. She'll always be a part of our hearts.

I made a special Yuletide breakfast of gluten-free waffles and bacon and eggs, and then we opened our presents and had fun watching the kitties play with the paper and their new toys. Later that night we had our Yule ritual. We value our traditions and each year they grow stronger. I also held my own private ritual and all in all, it was a very magickal day. I hope that - whatever you celebrate - your holiday was as special to you as ours was to us.

Samwise bought me a very special gift this year. He found an autographed copy of one of my favorite books by my favorite author, Ray Bradbury. So I now have an autographed copy of Something Wicked This Way Comes. I can truly say my husband knows me. There is no such thing as a perfect marriage, or a perfect partner, but we do pretty good.

So we are now into January. My birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks and I'm planning a casual get-together with a few friends at home. I love the feeling of a new year because it is so close to my birthday, and it feels like a new beginning for me in several different ways. I have my vision boards made for the year, and I have my goals planned out. I'm hoping it will be an easier year for both Samwise and me, as well as a lot of other people. 2014 was not kind to a number of our friends. There was a lot of loss and a lot of pain, and a lot of tears for too many people I know.

So this month PANTHER PROWLING comes out! Panther Prowling will be released on January 27, 2015. Remember: if you want a signed copy please preorder as soon as you can from Seattle Mystery Bookshop. In order to make certain you are able to reserve a copy, please preorder by January 27th. I will be signing all preorders on January 31st. I will not be doing a public signing, so this will be your one chance to get a signed copy during release week.

Over the years, a number of people have asked me how important preorders are. While I will never, ever tell anyone they should preorder my book, or they should buy it from this or that place, I will answer this question honestly.

Preorders are important - not only do they give the publisher an indication of interest, they encourage bookstores to actually order the book. Bookstores are the ones who make the decision on what to carry, whether they be brick-and-mortar or online. A lot of brick-and-mortar stores have cut back their stock by a significant amount, so the more interest there is in a book the more likelihood there is of a bookstore carrying it.

And the bottom-line is that the more sales we get, the more chance of a series continuing. Unfortunately, it is just the reality and nature of this business. So, if you do plan on buying Panther Prowling or any of my other books - and you have a notion to pick it up when it comes out - preorders do help. When people write to me saying "I can't find your book in this store or that store" there's really nothing I can do about it. I am not the one who makes the decision on who carries what.

And also remember: most actual bookstores will order a book if you ask for it.

That brings me to the question of, will there be more Otherworld books after DARKNESS RAGING (book 18)?

Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: BUT...and this is a BIG but - the nature of how those books will be released is going to depend solely on whether my publisher wants to contract me for more of them. If I have to self-publish them in order to finish the series, I will, but at that point they would only be available in e- format and probably NOT in Nook format because of all the problems we are having with it. And if I have to self-publish them, I cannot at this point guarantee the schedule I can release them on, because my contracted work always has first priority since it's guaranteed bread-and-butter work.

Again, a lot will depend on what my publisher has to say, and a lot of that depends on sales for Priestess Dreaming and Panther Prowling. I am sincerely hoping to be able to have a more definitive answer for you within the next few months. Do rest assured: I plan on finishing the series one way or another. I don't like leaving things unfinished.

ONLINE CHAT NOTE: I will be participating in an online chat at Coffee Time Romance on January 27, at 6 PM Pacific time to celebrate the release of PANTHER PROWLING. I will be of course, handing out a few prizes, and answering questions. I hope you will join me in the release party!

I'm having a blast working on AUTUMN THORNS, the first Whisper Hollow book. This series is unlike any of the others I have written. Romance and sexiness and mystery and suspense and a whole lot of paranormal ooo-spookiness all wrapped up together. I am truly hoping that people will like this series because I am loving writing it. Here's the back cover copy to give you an indication of what it's going to be about:

New York Times bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn invites readers to Whisper Hollow, where spirits walk among the living and the lake never gives up her dead...

Fifteen years ago, I ran away from Whisper Hollow, Washington, a small town on Crescent Lake in the Olympic Peninsula. But truth is, if you were born here, you can never really leave. I'm Kerris Fellwater, and when I returned, I inherited my grandmother's house-and her gift. As a spirit shaman, it's my responsibility to drive the dead back to their graves, because around Whisper Hollow, people-and secrets-don't always stay buried.

When I was little, I was told my mother ran off. But now it looks like she was murdered. With the help of my mysterious neighbor Bryan, we begin to unravel the mystery of her disappearance, and in doing so, unearth a dark force seeking to bury Whisper Hollow. Now I must work with the dead, rather than against them, because our enemy will do whatever she can to destroy the town, and she means to start with me.

Speaking of new ideas, it seems like one of the questions I get over and over is, "How do you come up with your ideas? Where do you get them?"

The only answer I can give is: I don't know how not to have ideas. To me they are everywhere. The other day Samwise and a friend and I were on the way to see The Hobbit when I made a joke about something and suddenly realized that would actually be a wonderful idea for a book. And now that idea has grabbed hold and I'm frustrated because I don't have time to write it right now, but I want to write it, which means the idea goes in the queue and I try to find time to fit it in at some point. So you see, a simple joke spurred on an idea that I think would be fantastic. I once had an idea for a book while I was in the car, (luckily in the passenger seat!). Within ten seconds an entire novel flashed through my mind. This idea is also up on the chalkboard. So, where do my ideas come from? I can't tell you. Sometimes I get a little snarky and say the idea fairy brought them, but to be honest, that might as well be the truth because I don't know how I evolve these ideas. That's just the way I'm wired. I think it's a writer-thing.

So I guess that's it for now. Oh-you can preorder FLIGHT FROM DEATH as well as Panther Prowling. And I'm working on another short piece to self publish. It will eventually get done and you'll hear about it here. My Brain Candy Friday giveaways on the blog are back, along with a new monthly giveaway that I've titled "I LOVE TO READ." This month, it's for three copies of Shawntelle Madison's book Coveted. So head over to the blog to subscribe and join me in my rambling thoughts outside of the books and maybe win a couple goodies.

Until next month, snuggle down for January's chill and stay safe!

Please do not reply to this message (it will not be seen by Yasmine). If you would like to contact Yasmine, you can do so via the contact page on her site.

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