I was absolutely blown away by the support that came in for him during the 48 hours that the semi-finals were open. I put calls out here, on my Facebook page and all my other social media and, wow, did you step up to the mark! Votes came in from the UK, Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand and Europe (tell me if I’ve missed anywhere). In the end we got through with OVER 6000 votes!!!
A MASSIVE thank you to everyone who voted, commented and helped spread the word. <3
THE FINAL IS LIVE!
And now Kane needs you one more time. The final round of Vampire Book Club’s Alpha Showdown is LIVE – and it’s time for you to choose your champion for 2016!
He was deemed the underdog from the outset, but Team Blackthorn fought hard and relentlessly through three rounds to get our Kane Malloy to the final. Kane is now up against the mega-force that is Kate Daniels (created by #1 New York Times Bestseller Ilona Andrews) for the crown. It’s another tough one! Can he go all the way?
Please do leave a comment too, if you can, to show your support.
At the time of posting this, there are only 33 hours left – so please don’t delay!
And if you haven’t yet checked out all the fantastic characters and authors that were put forward for this competition, it’s well worth a look. I hope you find loads of great new books to read. The more, the merrier! Have fun! xxx
Whilst I’ve been working away on Blood Bound, there’s been a rather exciting event happening in the background. I know a lot of my blog followers might already know about this but, in case you don’t, our Kane needs your help.
For the first time ever, Blackthorn (namely our very own Kane Malloy) was entered for Vampire Book Club’s Alpha Showdown. This is a major event with some of the biggest names in PNR and Urban Fantasy pitched against each other for reader votes. There are lots of great prizes for readers too!
Please can you spare a few seconds to support our Kane?
WE SURVIVED ROUND ONE
I was thrilled enough just to have Blackthorn nominated, but then it got really exciting! After being deemed the underdog, Kane was the shock victor in his first round when he won against the uber-popular Jane Yellowrock (created by Faith Hunter). Not only was Jane the showdown’s number one favourite, our Kane made it through with over 1,000 votes!
THEN WE GOT THROUGH ROUND TWO
When Kane was pitched against Mercy Thompson (created by fantastic National Bestselling Author Patricia Briggs) in the second round, we knew it was going to be tough to pull it off again. So there was even more shock when Kane came out the winner for a second time – this time with almost 3,000 votes!
As you can tell, Team Blackthorn are really getting into this! I am so grateful to everyone who has pulled out the stops to get him this far.
NOW WE’RE IN THE SEMI-FINALS!
Now Kane is in the semi-finals – and this time he’s up against the almighty Barrons (created by incredible New York Times Bestseller Karen Marie Moning)! Cue palpitations and butterflies…
KANE NEEDS YOU!
The semi-finals are open now. Please can you take a few seconds to vote for our Kane?
HOW TO VOTE
It’s quick and it’s easy. You don’t have to give any details or sign up for anything. Vampire Book Club have made it as simple as possible for everyone to join in.
Scroll through and look for the vote box (it comes after the two nominations)
Vote for our Kane
It closes tomorrow, so please don’t delay!
We’re currently just about in the lead, but everything can change at any point. It’s already a mighty battle up against Ms Moning’s phenomenal fan base. We’ve come this far though so, as Team Blackthorn keep telling me, we’re not going down without a respectable fight! (And having a lot of fun with it along the way. 😀 )
Thank you to everyone who takes the time to vote to support Kane, Blackthorn and, of course, me too. <3 And an extra special thank you to Tracey Rogers who wrote Kane’s pitch for him. You did us proud, Tracey!
I’ll be back next week with a Blood Bound update as well as a giveaway! I think it’s about time we had another one. 😀 Have a wonderful weekend if you don’t hear from me before. xxx
So far, Blood Instinct seems to be going down a treat. As you can imagine, I’m more than a little relieved! I know some of my readers started reading their latest instalment the moment it was downloaded at midnight – and that others have been waiting until this weekend to lock out the world and head back onto the streets of Blackthorn.
There’s nothing quite like that feeling of knowing your book is being eagerly awaited. But just as readers anxiously open the first page with a hope that their next adventure is going to be worthy of the wait, there’s an author in the background with their fingers crossed it will meet their loyal readers’ expectations. So thank you to everyone who is already sharing their thoughts on places like Amazon and Goodreads.
The great news is that Blood Instinct returned to #1 in Gothic Romance on Amazon UK on the day of its release. Jask even managed to hip-shove his buddy Kane into second place – something he never quite managed to achieve when Blood Torn came out because Kane still dominated the charts. So well done, Jask! 😀 Blood Instinct also made it to #2 in Gothic Fiction on Amazon.com as well as remaining at #1 in ‘Hot New Releases’! I’m thrilled to bits.
Right, no more chart talk from here on!
Two more blogger reviews came through on Thursday and Friday too – both 5 stars! I’d like to say a huge thank you to authorLindsey Clarke for her fantastic review of Blood Instinct:
“Jask and Phia have always been effortlessly hot, but Blood Instinct takes things to a much darker and more gut-wrenching level…the action in this book was so exciting and so thrilling that I almost wished I could strap myself in, just in case I fell off the sofa in shock of it all. In fact, I’m not even sure how I managed to reach the end without turning blue and passing out, because I definitely felt I should be holding my breath throughout! …I’ll just say that if you want an intoxicating read that will leave you breathless and reeling for days afterwards, then Blood Instinct is the book for you. Just don’t forget the safety harness. Five beautiful big glittery stars for this wickedly wonderful read!”
As well as to Shirley at The Romance Cover for her wonderful Blood Instinct review and accolade to Blackthorn:
“Once again everything you could wish for in a book. It is dark, compelling and thrilling with erotic but intimate loving interludes… The story ramps up as Blackthorn is fighting for its existence and its intensity keeps you turning the pages…get ready for a thrilling ride that will get you biting your knuckles as the story unfolds. It has it all in this book…utterly brilliant… Roll on Book 7 so that I can once again immerse myself in the awesome world of Blackthorn.”You can read Shirley’s full review here.
Lindsey Clarke didn’t just review Blood Instinct though, but decided to sum up her take on my entire series so far. Thank you SO much for a stunning summation of your take on my series, Lindsey. I wish I could explain my own books as well as you do!
“Having been a fan since Blood Shadows, I don’t think I could ever have predicted just how the story would unfold. For me, it’s gone from a dark and gritty paranormal romance set in the dangerous backstreets of a fictional world, to something that has reached epic proportions, where the sizzling relationships between our characters sits alongside key themes of social inequality, segregation, prejudice and supremacism. Now I know that might seem a little heavy for your average PNR, but the facts are that Blackthorn has NEVER been your average PNR and I believe it’s part and parcel of what has kept me desperate for more after each release.
What’s intrinsically powerful about Blackthorn is that it creates incredible empathy and passion in its readers… But it’s the world that she has created behind all that, which provides the whole backdrop to the story – this is what makes it so blooming REAL. Quite frankly, open up a Lindsay J Pryor book, and you’re opening up a three-dimensional feast for the senses and if you’re going to step into that world, well, you’d better be prepared to start running because the action in Blackthorn never stops.” You can read Lindsey’s full combined review here.
I’d also like to say a HUGE thank you too to Katrina and Mindy at Paranormal Romance Trance for running a Blackthorn spotlight today. I really appreciate your shout out, ladies. <3
That’s it for now. It’s time I disappeared to focus back on Blood Bound. 🙂 With “tick tock” fast becoming a catchphrase amongst my readers who have finished Blood Instinct, it sounds like you want your next instalment as quickly as possible. I’m on it!
It’s finally here!! Today marks the day of the official launch of BLOOD INSTINCT!!
I’m going to keep this short and sweet because, let’s be honest, who wants to hear from me when you can be immersed in Blackthorn with Jask (Kane, Caleb, Eden…) instead?
I wanted to have a quick roundup of the day though to mark the occasion and to say thanks to everyone who has pitched in to make today so fantastic – because you have. <3 It’s been a full on fourteen hours now and I’ve loved every minute. 🙂
MORE REVIEWS ARE COMING IN
Reviews are already being uploaded from both reviewers and readers and, so far, the feedback is beyond wonderful. Thank you to everyone who is taking the time to do this, including…
Marcy from Keeper Bookshelf who gave Blood Instinct a glowing 5 star review:
“This is an intriguing, dark story with twists and turns that make you think you’re navigating the back alleys of Blackthorn – and maybe you are. Up is down, left is right… and nothing is quite what it seems. Secrets, lies and danger are rampant and just when you believe it’s safe… guess again. There will be nails bitten to the quick, tears shed and perhaps a good shot of whiskey might help at some points – but you will never be bored. If you enjoy dark paranormal tales… I don’t think I could recommend this story or this series highly enough.” You can read Marcy’s full review here.
Amy M at Dayreader Reviews for her terrific 4.5 star review:
“My heart broke many times while reading what is going on in Blackthorn and several times I was so utterly upset I had to stop reading because my heart broke into so many pieces… My wow factor in this book shot through the roof reading about halfway through! I am completely sucked into Blackthorn and have been hypnotized by Jask Tao into falling for the lycan leader. My hopes for the next book are extremely high… I am left of the edge of my seat, biting my nails off… A heart stopping, stomach turning 4.5 stars from Lindsay J. Pryor of Blood Instinct.” You can read Amy’s full review here.
Angel at The Book Spot for her wonderfully enthusiastic review:
“I loved this book as much as I loved every other book in this series and I really want to visit Blackthorn (Not on my own of course, its a scary place). I started this book meaning to read for an hour, Well, that didn’t work! Nothing got done in my house and no one got fed and when I finally looked up it was 2am. This book was exciting from start to finish… This is not a cutesy vampire/werewolf romance book, I really have to stress that. Its too fierce, too exciting, too enthralling and captivating to call it just a romance…”You can read Angel’s full review here.
…and to everyone who is posting their review on places like Amazon and Goodreads.
BLACKTHORN IN THE CHARTS
To add to the excitement, ALL SIX BLACKTHORN BOOKS were in the TOP 14 in Gothic Romance on Amazon UK today – with Blood Shadows back at the number one spot and Blood Instinct not far behind!
BLACKTHORN IS ON INSTAGRAM
Today also marked the official launch of Blackthorn onto Instagram and the response has been brilliant, with some images already reaching ‘Top Posts’. Do track me down if you’re on there (#TheBlackthornSeries) – and always feel free to share your own Blackthorn-related images. 🙂
AND LASTLY…
Before I leave you in peace to (hopefully) enjoy your latest Blackthorn adventure, I would like to say a huge thank you to three blogs who have given Blackthorn a shout out this week:
Maryse at Maryse’s Book Blog for announcing Blood Instinct’s preorder details to all her followers.
And The Romance Cover for spotlighting Blood Instinct’s release on their Facebook page.
A massive thank you to all the work that my fab publisher Bookouture have put into this publication day, and to my incredible street team who have not only given up their time voluntarily but have worked non-stop all day to spread the word about Blackthorn as far and as wide as possible. <3
And, of course, my heartfelt thanks to my awesome readers for all of your comments, pictures, likes, retweets, shares and everything else you’ve done across all of my social media sites today. Your response has been simply amazing. I’ve been blown away. I’m still catching up, but I’m getting there!
We have exactly ONE WEEK to go!! BLOOD INSTINCT will be yours as of NEXT THURSDAY!! 🙂
For those awaiting the paperback version (available from release day), here’s the full cover reveal. I do hope you like it!
Not only is Blood Instinct still at number one in Gothic Romance on Amazon UK three weeks on from first going up for pre-order, but I’m also thrilled to say it has received another 5 star review – this time from Fiona’s Book Reviews:
“I say it every time a new book in this series comes out, and I will say it again for this one. Wow wow wow, she has done it again! Not only has the author given us a book which grabs your attention straight away, she is drawing everything and everyone together towards a conclusion I cannot wait to read… The book is full of action, intrigue, secrets and lies. It grabs your attention immediately and will not let you go until you are screaming for the author to hurry up and bring us the next one! …This author is a huge favourite of mine, and the series is right at the top of my all time favourite book series ever. I can’t wait for the next part, but at the same time I don’t want to think about what will happen when the series comes to an end.”
Thank you so much, Fiona! <3
With the days ticking away, things are starting to get a little bit exciting now. I think I need to launch another giveaway tomorrow to help ease the final wait…
The first two blog reviews are in for Blood Instinct and I’m delighted (and relieved) to say it’s great news so far!
Thank you so much to Michelle at Big Little Sister Blog for her awesome review (and one of the best descriptive titles I’ve ever read for a review of one of my books!):
Here’s a snippet of what Michelle had to say but you can read her full review here.
“This series just went through the roof. Ms. Pryor has kept her Blackthorn series dark, gritty and romantic, only now it’s also an action packed thriller. The previous books had readers swimming in Lindsay J. Pryor’s world, this time Blackthorn completely submerges you. Where her last book had my heart pounding and made me all sweaty, Blood Instinct is brain scrambling and gut wrenching… Whilst each twist is a complete shocker, yet on reflection you see the author’s trail of breadcrumbs. It’s a trail that goes back six books, now that’s clever! …Over a week later I’m still connecting the dots – a sign of a truly great book… The truth is this is the hardest review I’ve ever written, I don’t think I can do justice to the nuances and brilliance of Blood Instinct.”
And a huge thank you too to Stephanie at My Bookworm Blogger for her fab 5 star review as well!
Here’s a sample of what Stephanie thought but you can read her full review here.
“From the very first page, Blood Instinct held me captive as I was pulled willingly into Blackthorns embrace. This incredibly complex book takes us back to Jask and Sophia… I began reading Blood Instinct thinking it couldn’t get worse for my favourite characters. Oh how naive I was. Lindsay J Pryor expertly weaves intricate plot lines that will not only take you to the edge of what you think you can handle, but hold you there, captivated yet afraid to look down. Blood Instinct takes Blackthorn to a whole new level, testing its residents to their breaking point.”
I’d also like to thank Stephanie for her fantastic cover reveal post which I’ve only just seen, where she links back to all her previous reviews for my Blackthorn series so far. Now that’s dedication!
And almost two weeks on from Blood Instinct being available for pre-order, we’re still at number one in Gothic Romance on Amazon UK! So, again, thank you to everyone who is pre-ordering. Not long to go now! 😀
Yay!! We’ve done it again!! I’m thrilled to be able to tell you that, in less than 24 hours, BLOOD INSTINCT has hit #1 in Gothic Romance on Amazon UK – from pre-orders alone! It also hit #1 in Gothic Romance’s Hot New Releases! We even reached #6 on Amazon.com in the same chart. That’s now the third Blackthorn book in a row to do it. 🙂
Thank you SO much to everyone who clicked that pre-order button and made this possible – and for your wonderful reaction to the cover reveal yesterday. <3
The review copies also started to go out last night, and this was the first bit of feedback I received this morning:
“Omg, Lindsay J. Pryor, you have truly outdone yourself this time. Holy crap; I have never read a book with so many plot twists that I never saw coming…Thank god Lindsay is already working on Blood Bound. My hands are just shaking right now…”
Thank you, Sarah!
Let’s hope you agree when you get to read it. Talking of which…
If you can’t bear the wait any longer, look out for a giveaway early next week!
Have a wonderful weekend! xxx
* * *
UPDATE:
Blood Instinct has now made it to #4 in the Gothic Romance chart on Amazon.com and #1 in Hot New Releases in Gothic Fiction there too. 🙂 Thank you to everyone who continues to pre-order.
With only four weeks left to go before the official release of BLOOD INSTINCT – book 6 in my Blackthorn series – I am thrilled to finally be able to share both the cover and the blurb with you…
Here’s our Jask, in his full azure-eyed glory this time around!
‘I THINK WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU TRIGGERS THE WORST OF ME’
Sophia McKay has always had a reckless streak, but falling for lycan leader Jask Tao gave her something to live for. Now, cursed with a serryn bloodline, a darkness inside Phia is awakening. A darkness she knows could prove deadly to those she loves most.
Approaching a blue moon, Jask Tao and his pack are living close to the edge due to a delay getting the herbs required to stop their morphing. Worse still, the growing strength of Phia’s serryn powers are dangerously provoking the lycan in Jask.
At a time when Jask and Phia need each other more than ever, their very passion has become a poison that puts both their lives at risk.
With Sirius Throme, leader of the Global Council, on the verge of invading Blackthorn – working together is the only chance of survival. But Jask is holding on to a secret that could just blow everything apart.
And so is Phia.
Will the truth destroy them all?
A thrilling, action-packed and sinfully seductive paranormal read – where passions in Blackthorn ignite.
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What readers are saying about Lindsay J. Pryor:
‘I am completely enthralled with this paranormal series. You get so wrapped up in the story and characters that you lose track of time… This is one of my favorite series so far this year!’ ~ Paranormal Book Club
‘I don’t think I have read such a finely executed dark PNR world before …This series truly surprised me. I didn’t think I would love it that much or be intrigued by it. I couldn’t stop thinking about these books once I was done with them… The world-building is spectacular. The characters are enthralling and addicting… Plain fabulousness.’ ~ Gaga Over Books
‘This is a paranormal universe like none you have encountered before… There are stories that are so powerful, so intense that I do not believe anyone should warn you about what is to come… I truly do feel that if you love the Paranormal genre and have not yet discovered Lindsay J. Pryor or these novels then you need to read them, experience them first-hand.’ ~ Keeper Bookshelf
‘I am officially addicted to this series. Why, you ask? Because Lindsay Pryor is my kind of fearless author. She isn’t afraid to “go there”, to create characters and situations that challenge me as a reader.’ ~ The Demon Librarian
‘Not only are Pryor’s characters and fathomlessly dark love stories fabulous, but her continual world building of Blackthorn blows me away.’ ~ Gravetells
‘If you’re looking for a new PNR series that has a dark world and complicated characters, then you’ll want to grab a copy of this. I can’t wait to read the next book.’ ~ Fiction Vixen
‘She writes paranormal romance mixed with urban fantasy the way I like it –clever world-building, intense characters and no easy options for them to take.’ ~ Nocturnal Book Reviews
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I do hope you like it! 🙂
IT’S UP FOR PRE-ORDER!
I’m equally thrilled to be able to tell you that it is up for pre-order with some retailers NOW!
And for reviewers, that means it is available on NetGalley TODAY!
(If you’re a blogger/reviewer not on NetGalley but you’d still like to review BLOOD INSTINCT – or any of the previous Blackthorn books – I have the information you need on my Queries page as to how you can get hold of Bookouture’s Publicity Manager.)
AND BEFORE I GO…
I’ll leave you with our rather more dark-and-moody-looking Jask for now but for those who don’t mind me already mentioning book 7, I’m also super-excited to tell you our penultimate book in the series will be called BLOOD BOUND. I had to tell you now because I mention it at the end of BLOOD INSTINCT! 😉 And, yes, it’s already well underway…
We now have just over 5 weeks to go until Blood Instinct’s release day!
I was beyond thrilled with the response to the release date announcement a couple of weeks ago, especially as we even managed to break a record for my Facebook page with the highest number of likes/reactions ever – over 170 in the end!! The enthusiasm in your comments across social media has been infectious, so thank you so much for that. <3
Above: A snippet from my Facebook page during the release date announcement
Since then, I’ve said my final farewell to Blood Instinct. It went in with my last set of edits on Thursday, so it’s now undergoing proofreading and typesetting as well as all the other things my publisher does from here to prepare it for reviewers – and for pre-order, of course! Hopefully I’ll be able to share that date before too long.
So with that in mind, I’m very excited to be able to tell you that, all being well, the cover and blurb reveal are due NEXT WEEK!! I can’t wait to share them with you.
Needless to say I’m already plotting a giveaway for the not-too-distant-future too. I know some of you might want to get your hands on a couple of Blood Instinct treats – or even an early copy if you really can’t wait until May 5th. 😉
I’m super-excited to be able to reveal that BLOOD INSTINCT, book 6 in my Blackthorn series, will be released on:
5th MAY 2016!
And it’ll be available for pre-order in April! I’ll let you know as soon as it’s ready.
Thanks so much for all the incredible support and excitement that has already been coming through on my Facebook page pending this announcement – you really do make every release a huge amount of fun. 😀
Stay close because the cover and blurb are being worked on as we speak. I hope to be able to share both very soon. And as with all Blackthorn releases, I’ll have lots of other things to share in the build up to release day too!
