I heard a rumor…

It is SO good to be back to my book tribe. As some of you already know, I took a little over a year off to be fully present during my youngest son’s senior year. I am pleased to report that he graduated and is off to college at Kent State University. While my oldest is finishing up his last year at The Ohio State University.

That means, I now have an empty nest, and I intend to take advantage of it!

First up, was the July release of my short story, Hidden on the Belt, included in Brave New Girls: Tales of Girls Who Engineer and Explore anthology. I love participating in this project because a portion of each sale goes to scholarships from the Society of Women Engineers for young women learning about careers STEM fields.

This is the second short I’ve written about Stella Purser, the youngest intern ever at the future First Intergalactic Bank and Trust, Lake Erie Branch. The clients are often not human, sometimes not even solid. And yes, Stella’s bank branch is actually under Lake Erie. May I suggest entering through the wet lobby. It’s quite the experience.

Stella has a gift for figuring advanced probabilities in seconds. That’s why novice security guard, Fox Aimsworth, nicknamed her “Chance.” Together, they get into the craziest situations.

In Hidden on the Belt, Stella and Fox tag along for a routine mining equipment check on Vesta in the asteroid belt. When the team stumbles on a major criminal cover up, the mission leader trusts the wrong person. Stella must use her unique talent to elude the bad guys and get the team off the rock spiraling through space.

And if you like, Hidden, be sure to check out the prior Chance & Fox short, Let the Numbers Show Truth, part of Brave New Girls: Adventures of Gals and Gizmos. It’s explosive.

Next up is the debut of my new middle grade horror series, Spooky Rumors. The first book, Some Thing Calls from the Dark, releases September 20, 2023, and as of this post is available for preorder.

The premise of Spooky Rumors is that Agatha Binx, preteen witch and self-proclaimed expert of all things that go bump in the night, collects rumors from her monstrous and ghostly friends to share with my readers.

These books are so much fun, creepy stories with corny humor thrown in, very much in the style of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps. Short chapters, easy readability, and high action make them perfect for reluctant middle grade readers.

Each book/rumor is a standalone and will feature a different set of characters and monster or ghost story based in small town folklore. The first book, Some Thing Calls from the Dark, centers on the Flatwoods Monster of West Virginia. A profile at the end of the book gives readers extra info on the documented sightings.

In Some Thing Calls… Kayla Murphy wakes to an odd call for help coming from the creepy woods beyond her backyard. The next thing she remembers is waking up on her bedroom floor under an open window. Kayla is forced into the woods in search of answers. Each dangerous step leads her closer to the monster of local folklore.

I’m pretty psyched about the team for this one. I was so lucky to connect with the amazing Diane Landolf, editor of Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House Fact Trackers and numerous other major publisher middle grade titles. She polished the manuscript as editor. The book also includes original artwork from the Doug LaRocca.

And there is more on the horizon. Works in progress include A Cloak of Crimson, a Little Red Riding Hood retelling with werewolves set in Alaska. It will be part of a fairy tale box set currently slated for late 2024. I’m also working on the third book in the Mothman Mysteries series, Wrong Side of the Song. And I will be releasing new Spooky Rumors as quickly as possible.

In addition to ramping up the writing, you will again see me at events. I’m just starting to get those scheduled. Check my Home page for the current list.

Lastly, I just wanted to say thank you for your patience while I took this family time. I’m excited about these new stories and hope you are too!

Mothman Mysteries 2 coming April 8th

 

Where will you be when all hail breaks loose?

When a masked terrorist wields a deadly storm to force the men in black into lockdown, Eric and Bridget are suddenly separated. With Bridget on the inside and Eric on the outside, the two race to beat the clock and open the doors before the suits make the ultimate sacrifice to prevent the base from falling into enemy hands.

Get ready for a quirky thrill ride full of spunky book blogger rants, sneaky twists, liberally-used nicknames, smoldering smirks from Mothman, and even a hippy vampire. Hold on kiddos, it’s Mothman verses the Weather Machine!

About the Series:
The Mothman Mysteries are set in the same universe with the same characters, but the books are standalone mysteries and can be read in any order. Considered a clean teen series, suitable even for pre-teens. Humorous teen paranormal mysteries in the vein of Doctor Who and The Dresden Files.
 

The Coming Anthology

For the first time, I’m participating in an anthology of short stories from various authors. I so love the title, Brave New Girls: Stories of Girls Who Science and Scheme.


I can’t take any credit for the title. That all goes to Mary Fan and Paige Daniels, editors and the brains behind the book. This is the second BNG, the first being Brave New Girls: Tales of Girls and Gadgets.

Each year, they pub a new BNG anthology, and every year they give the profits from the sale to a charity that encourages girls to pursue careers in STEM (that’s Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) fields. This year the money is going into a scholarship fund run by the Society of Women Engineers.

Cool, right?

My contribution to BNG is called “Sweet Emotion”, a never before pubbed short from the Mothman Mysteries universe. And it’s the first Mothman Mystery written from Bridget’s POV!

When strange, new benefactors show up for her school’s Spirit Week and offer outrageous prizes, all the students whip into a competitive frenzy. All the students except Bridget whose internal creepiness meter humming.

Bridget draws from lessons learned in science class to get to the bottom of the mystery before the Spirit Week winner is chosen and his/her fate is sealed for good.

The anthology includes some really cool stories ranging from dystopian to sci-fi. Titles and Blurbs can be found here.


Brave New Girls: Stories of Girls Who Science and Scheme will be available in ebook and paperback formats from major online bookstores starting August 1. You can preorder for your Kindle now.

I’ll also have a few copies for sale at signing events this Fall. 

Fifth Anniversary…good times

2016 is the fifth anniversary of Of Sun & Moon and the start of the Midnight Guardian series. I couldn’t let it just slip by.

Well, I guess I could. But I didn’t want to. After all, no one likes a forgotten anniversary.

To celebrate, I’ve put together a box set of the complete series as a single ebook. The Complete Midnight Guardian Series includes all six novels and the Siren’s Call short story (from Wattpad and included in the print versions of Shadows Rising). I’ve also included a never before published short called Red Feather Girl. It’s a romantic adventure that takes place after House of Gammen. Also included is my own character artwork at the beginning of each novel and short.

The Complete Midnight Guardian Series is an Amazon Kindle exclusive. It releases December 13th, but you can preorder it now. Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQHEOXK

There’s also a song.

beth-lyric

To make this anniversary super extra special, I commissioned a song from Beth Crowley. I met Beth briefly a couple of years ago when she introduced me to her music. You’ll find her on YouTube and iTunes where she belts out her original, book-inspired tunes with the passion of a true fangirl.

Being a drooling fangirl myself, I found an instant connection. I contacted Beth and she began work on The Dark. Inspired by the Midnight Guardian series, it delves into Keira’s conflicting feelings for Brun.

The tune is haunting. The lyrics are beautiful. The vocals break my heart and make me cry for more. Seriously. I can’t wait for you to hear it. Fortunately, you don’t have to wait long. The song will be available on iTunes on Dec. 12.Some free codes are burning a hole in my inbox  so join me at Britt Cole’s Searching Release Party on Dec. 15th during the hour of 7 pm eastern/ 6 central and you might just get one. Party goers will also get a look at the lyric video.

Thanks everyone for your support of Keira and Colby’s story. Without you, this series wouldn’t be. Happy 5th Anniversary to all of you!

 

 

House of Gammen in Stores Now

 

House of Gammen is finally here!

Buy links:
SmashwordsApple iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Amazon US | Canada | United Kingdom | Australia

I’m sitting in my living room looking at the final paperback proof, and I can’t believe it. What a ride it’s been.

I started writing the Midnight Guardian story back in 2010. At the time, my hubby and I were building our house. I would work all day at the office. Come home and do a quick change. Head over to the construction site and paint or do whatever else needed to be done until late. Maybe grab a sandwich if I was lucky. Then when I finally got home, take a shower and plop on the floor and being writing this crazy story that somehow poured out of me at the most inconvenient time.

And I’m so glad it did.

Six books later, I’m so glad it did.

I hope you enjoy House of Gammen.

final-countdown

Beta readers were thrilled that I brought back so many favorite characters as we move forward to the Fall like the Werewolf Whisperer, Nana,  Drew, Mikey, Katie, the shadows, Broo, and a couple of others that I don’t want to spoil. I couldn’t stand to wrap things up without them.

The paperback is the most beautiful I’ve published. It has some unique pages including a special Foreword to the MG fans with a beautiful sun and moon watermark. And the front cover, I can’t get over the haunting mogdoc green eyes.

Next week, I’ll post easter eggs for the last book, so be on the lookout for that post. Thank you to everyone who has supported me in this journey. You mean so much to me!

 

HOUSE OF GAMMEN
Read the exciting conclusion to the series that started with Of Sun & Moon, #1 Teen Supernatural Mystery, #1 Teen Romantic Mystery, #1 Time Travel on the US & UK Kindle Free Charts for January & February 2014.

With one friend trapped in time and the other chasing down a ghost, Keira Ryan must find it in herself to move past the damage caused by her misplaced trust and fulfill her destiny to bring forth the fall of the House of Gammen. Can she defeat the royal line before the gremlin-like creatures of Atlantis cross into our world?

All your favorite characters are back in House of Gammen, the perfect culmination of this teen, light fantasy series. Readers have fallen in love with the story based in magic, but set in the rural heartland of America.

 

Midnight Guardian #6 Pre-order Info

Thank you for all the love!! Here’s an advance look at the Prologue & First Chapter.

hogebook

Forward to the Fall!
Here’s your hookup for pre-ordering HOUSE OF GAMMEN the 6th and final book in the Midnight Guardian series.

Pre-order before Oct. 6 & get it for only 99 Cents
at these retailers:
SmashwordsApple iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Amazon US | Canada | United Kingdom | Australia
*Pre-order only available for ebook editions.

Nearly miss the pre-order deadline? Sign up for Bryna’s New Book Alert. No spam. No hassle. Just a heads up…and freebies!

Video of the cover reveal at https://youtu.be/1xUXtbm5rYc

Need to start at the beginning? Pick up the ebook edition of Book 1, OF SUN & MOON for FREE at all major online bookstores.

 

HOUSE OF GAMMEN
Read the exciting conclusion to the series that started with Of Sun & Moon, #1 Teen Supernatural Mystery, #1 Teen Romantic Mystery, #1 Time Travel on the US & UK Kindle Free Charts for January & February 2014.

With one friend trapped in time and the other chasing down a ghost, Keira Ryan must find it in herself to move past the damage caused by her misplaced trust and fulfill her destiny to bring forth the fall of the House of Gammen. Can she defeat the royal line before the gremlin-like creatures of Atlantis cross into our world?

All your favorite characters are back in House of Gammen, the perfect culmination of this teen, light fantasy series. Readers have fallen in love with the story based in magic, but set in the rural heartland of America.