It feels like ages since I’ve held a giveaway so, to help spread the festive spirit, I decided it was time for another.
Last month, Blackthorn launched on audio with Blood Shadows thanks to Tantor Media (who acquired the rights back in the Summer). Blood Roses is out on audio today and Blood Torn will be available at the end of the month.
I was clapping my hands with glee when my Blood Shadows CDs arrived all the way from the States last week, and not least because they look amazing!
Even better, they sound amazing too – all thanks to the wonderful Anne Flosnik who has narrated the first three books. Just like the first time I held a copy of my book, I didn’t let them out of my sight for hours (my presh-usss). Needless to say though, I would love a Blackthorn fan to have one straight out of the original box. So here goes…
The Giveaway
One copy of Blood Shadows (unabridged) on audio CD (10 discs in total) could be yours. You can either have it sealed or I’ll sign the inside of the cover for you. This will be the first audio CD ever signed by me so it might make a nice keepsake.
How to Enter
I’m going to make this really easy, and sate my curiosity at the same time. Blackthorn fans and supporters are spread all over the world, which is just immense. To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is tell me where you are. Just leave your nameandlocation (country for definite, city/town/village if you’re feeling brave!) either in the comments section below or on my Facebook page and you’ll automatically be entered. If you’re not comfortable with posting the information live, feel free to send me a private message.
Closing Date
I’ll close the competition this Saturday (13th Dec) at midnight, UK time. The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Sunday (14th Dec). I’ll post anywhere, so there are no restrictions.
I do hope you’ll join in. Best of luck, everyone! xxx
Today, is the second anniversary of both the launch of my first Blackthorn novel, Blood Shadows, and also the launch of its fantastic publisher, Bookouture.
Above: Happy 2nd Birthday, Blackthorn! What a 2 years it has been!!
Bookouture are currently celebrating with cake and bubbles, and rightly so! Since signing me, they have gone on to acquire many exceptional authors – both debut and established. Bookouture have had eight Amazon top 100 hits in the UK, three in the US, two in Canada and even one in France. They’ve sold hundreds of thousands of eBooks – and quite a few paperbacks, too! This week alone, they have three books in the Amazon UK top 100!
From being a one-man-band consisting of its Founder and Managing Director, Oliver Rhodes, Bookouture has expanded its publishing team too. Claire Bord,formerly of Avon (HarperCollins), became Bookouture’s Publishing Director with the aim of developing and expanding their publishing programme. As part of that, Keshini Naidoo (previously having worked with eBook bestsellers, also at Avon) joined the team as Senior Commissioning Editor with a focus on crime and thriller titles. To keep up with increased demand, the super-supportive Kim Nash joined as Bookouture’s Publicity Manager. Bookouture also linked up with the Lorella Belli Literary Agency who has since sold rights in France, Germany, Norway, Italy, Turkey, India and the Middle East, as well as doing deals for audio rights.
It’s amazing how far Bookouture have come, and I am immensely proud to have been there from the beginning. Bookouture has undoubtedly been the best thing to happen to Blackthorn. It might be a small, independent publisher, but darn they’re exceptional at what they do (proof above)! With ‘Big 5’ experience within a dedicated, hard-working, author-centric team of professionals, it’s no wonder that, along with the success of their books, Bookouture continues to be so highly praised by its authors.
As for me, it’s hard to believe that it was two years ago that I held a copy of my book for the first time; that I was a bag of nerves waiting to see what PNR reviewers, let alone readers, would make of my debut, Blood Shadows.
Above: A sample of reviews from the launch of Blackthorn, Nov 2012
Thankfully, many bloggers and reviewers embraced Blackthorn – and so did many more readers. If you’re reading this now, you’re likely to be one of those very readers who, like Bookouture, decided to take a punt on a new PNR series. You’re probably part of the reason why, through your reviews, ratings or word-of-mouth recommendations, the rest of the series has been signed. Thank you. Because being signed by a terrific publisher may be one of the best things to happen to an author, but so are great supporters. I have the privilege of having some of the best. 🙂
So before I leave you with the trailer that kicked the series off two years ago (which includes the original cover before the rebrand), I can’t do so without first wishing all my U.S. followers a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy!
I’m uber-thrilled to be able to share that the rest of the Blackthorn series has officially been signed! I’m just as thrilled to be able to announce that Blackthorn will remain with its original publisher, Bookouture.
Having been inundated with queries as to how many more books there will be, I can now reveal that Blackthorn will consist of eight books in total – that means there are four more to come!
Above: We’re halfway there… spot the “unintentional” giveaway clue on the spine of the books.
It feels like a long time since I shared Bookouture’s interest in the rest of the series. Before signing a contract though, there’s a lot to take into account. Firstly, I needed to make a final decision as to how many books there would be (the final book could have been broken into two parts, but we opted for an epic finale). I also needed to think carefully about the timescales for when I could deliver those books. Most of you will know that, like most authors, writing isn’t my only job. So when Bookouture offered me a contract for the rest of the series, I had a huge decision to make. Six weeks ago, I resolved to step out of teaching for a while and focus fully on finishing writing Blackthorn. So, as of 2015, I will be a full-time author for the first time ever – and Blackthorn will be receiving my undivided attention all the way through to its conclusion.
Blackthorn has certainly come a long way since its inception back in 1996 when, having just moved to a big city hundreds of miles from all I knew, I got lost on my way home one night. I then spent fourteen years dipping in and out of developing the series amidst working on other writing projects and teaching full time. Back in 2010, I finally bit the bullet and entered the opening chapter of Blood Roses into the international online romance writing competition, ‘New Voices’. Although up against thousands of entries, a combination of editors’ decisions and reader votes saw Blood Roses through to the final. A year later, Blackthorn made it to the final again – this time with Blood Shadows.
For those who don’t know, it was Blackthorn’s success in that competition that brought me to the attention of Bookouture. I’d just started submissions when, out of the blue, they got in touch. A three-book deal soon followed. Just over a year later, back in January, they signed Blood Deep. Blackthorn has gone on to sell tens of thousands of copies, with new readers finding the books every day. It doesn’t mean I’ve ever taken the signing of the rest of the series for granted though. That’s why it still felt momentous signing the last of the books over.
So here they are in Blackthorn’s full line-up: all your heroes and heroines who now have their work cut out in bringing down the oppressive system that surrounds them. I can’t wait to share how they’re going to do it! 🙂
And on that note, I’m also pleased to be able to reveal that Blood Dark will be released next Summer* (2015)! Yes, I know it probably feels likes ages away, but I’m afraid a lot of work goes into publishing a book even after I’ve submitted it. Fingers crossed I’ll be able to persuade Bookouture to give away an early book or two like we did with Blood Deep. 😉
Of course, I’ll also be sharing a summary of ‘the story so far’ before Blood Dark’s release. I get the feeling it might prove useful by then!
Thanks, as always, for your continued support. xxx
A little while ago, I announced that the first three Blackthorn books are going to be available on audio. Well, today’s the day! As of now, Blood Shadows is available unabridged in Audio CD, MP3-CD and Audio Download with Tantor Media (Blood Roses and Blood Torn will follow next month). It’s perfect timing as it’s two years this month that Blood Shadows, my debut novel, was first published.
In the post where I first shared the news, I also said I’d give some insight into what happens during the audio conversion process for those who might be interested…
It was five months ago that Tantor Media emailed to show an interest in acquiring the first three Blackthorn books for audio. It was one of those surreal moments (not unlike when Bookouture got in touch out of the blue) that I never saw coming. With no experience of deals like this, I was glad to have Lorella Belli Literary Agency at the helm to handle it all.
Once everything had been signed and sealed, a narrator was assigned to Blackthorn – British multi-award-winning actress, Anne Flosnik. Lorella had arranged it that myself and Bookouture were to approve the narrator selected for my books, so I was sent a sample of Anne’s work. As soon as I heard the energy and passion in her narration, I knew Anne was right to read Blackthorn. My approval was instant.
Above: Anne Flosnik – Blackthorn’s narrator
I wasn’t sure what to expect after that, but assumed it would all be out of my hands. Produced by a leading audio publishing company, read by a skilled narrator, and knowing Blood Shadows would remain unabridged, I was at ease with it all. The only other thing I had my fingers tightly crossed for was that there would be consistency between the covers of the books and CDs. Gladly that was agreed.
Above: The audio cover for BLOOD SHADOWS
To be honest, I’d convinced myself I wasn’t even going to listen to the audiobooks – the same as I’ve never re-read any of my books once they’ve been published. There was something about someone else reading my work back to me – a secondary voice replacing the one in my head – that felt peculiar.
Above: The synopsis for BLOOD SHADOWS as presented on Tantor Media
That decision didn’t last long though, especially after I received an email from Anne herself. She was well underway reading my books, was getting a sense of where she was heading and was starting to get into the characters’ heads as all professional actors do. Not only was I getting a real sense of how much background work goes into producing an audiobook, Anne had a real passion for my characters and their stories. It all suddenly became very real. This wasn’t some distant project anymore – Anne was keeping me very much involved to ensure she portrayed the books as closely to my original intentions as she could. And, to enable that to happen, she had some questions…
THE ACCENTS
Anne knew I was a British author, so queried if I wanted regional or class accents assigned to my characters. As she knew Blackthorn is a series, this was particularly in relation to any possible revelations in later books. I have to say I loved that she was thinking that far ahead.
My vision from the moment I started writing Blackthorn was that I didn’t want it to be assigned to one specific location. I’ve never even made any direct reference to Blackthorn being British within the actual books themselves, primarily because it’s irrelevant in terms of the story. However, despite not specifying the location, it has always been important to me that Blackthorn retained its British identity – hence the inevitable giveaways in my terminology, grammar and spelling!
So, in terms of accents, I’d always envisaged a neutral RP for my characters (a softer and milder form of the Queen’s English as opposed to aristocratic). Of course, for those readers who have been in touch to let me know their own accent preferences, that’s more than fine too! 😉
… AND SPEECH CHARACTERISTICS
Anne also checked if I had any preferences for speech characteristics, pitch or tone to help define my characters. This one was trickier to explain beyond such vocal qualities as rasps. After eighteen years of “working” with them, I can hear my characters distinctly. I also have a habit of sometimes reading aloud when writing dialogue (a side-effect of spending my teenage years writing scripts to perform sketches and plays at my local church hall), so know how each line should sound. With my fingers crossed that the text speaks for itself beyond the nuances, I was more than happy to leave it to Anne’s interpretation.
THE PRONUNCIATIONS
But then came the biggie – the pronunciations. I’ve lived with the books for so long, I hadn’t realised just how much vocabulary there was in the stories that is exclusive to Blackthorn e.g. terms like ‘serryns’ and names such as ‘Jask’. Anne broke each unfamiliar word down to stresses in order to meticulously check each one. Here are just a few examples of the ones Anne queried, with confirmations of how they are actually pronounced (stresses in capitals):
Jarin – JAHrin
Tuly – TULee
Arana – AHranuh
Serryn – SEHrin
Amilek – AHmilek (“’i” as in “it”)
Nirus – NIrus
Feinith – FAYnith
Sphariga – SFARigah (“i” as above)
Hade – HAYd
Dehain – duhHAYN
Armun – AREmun
Tryan – TRYan
Marid – MAHrid
MY PART DONE
After Anne had confirmed everything she needed to know, after she had finished prepping, as soon as the recordable text came through, she started the long task of narrating. During the recording process, she very kindly sent me updates, and it was always exciting (and reassuring) to know it was going well. It also helped immensely that Anne was thoroughly enjoying my books personally as well as professionally. I couldn’t have asked for more.
So with copies now heading my way, I can’t wait to see and hear the finished product. As soon as I have them, I’ll take a photo to share with you. And if you download or get a copy for yourself, do let me know what you think!
Oh, and just to give you the heads-up, I have some more very exciting news coming your way in the next few days. Stay close!
I am very excited to tell you that Blood Shadows reached the top 50 kindle sales (#47 to be exact) on Amazon.com today! It has previously skirted the top 100 on both Amazon UK and Amazon.com, but has never quite made it across the threshold. Well, we’ve finally done it!!
It’s also back at the #1 spot in Gothic Romance again as well as being #3 in Paranormal Romance on Amazon.com…
And, as you can see above, Blood Deep is also holding its own at #3 in Gothic Romance. It’s also still at #1 in Gothic Romance’s Hot New Releases…
My thanks, as always, go out to every single reader who is continuing to support Blackthorn and, of course, the fantastic Bookouture for their relentless work in ensuring memorable moments like this one happen. After all, it’s not every day that you see yourself next to Stephen King!
Some readers are saying Blood Deep is the best Blackthorn book yet. Others are putting it on a par with the first three in the series. My relief is just immense that you are enjoying your latest Blackthorn instalment so much! Thank you hugely to everyone who continues to send their comments and messages through to me.
ABOVE: A SNIPPET OF MY FACEBOOK PAGE THIS WEEK, FEATURING SOME OF MY AWESOME SUPPORTERS
I must admit, I wasn’t planning on writing an update until Friday, but that all changed when something arrived in the post today that I just had to share with you. This beautiful ‘Blood Deep’ necklace is a gift from a fan in the U.S. that arrived via my publisher this morning. Just a tad bigger than my thumbnail, this little book locket even opens like the real thing!
As you can imagine, I was absolutely overwhelmed. What an incredible keepsake to mark the release of book four. Kat, I am deeply appreciative. I LOVE it.
As for the rest of the week, I’m thrilled to say Blood Deep has held its own in Amazon.com’s Gothic Romance chart most of the week, rarely shifting from the No. 1 spot. And, as you can see, the reviews are coming through. Thank you to every reader who has rated and reviewed it. I really appreciate your time.
But the reviews aren’t just coming through on Amazon. There have been three more reviews from bloggers too during the course of the week.
Veena at The Author Visits has given it a wonderful 4 stars. This review does contain some significant spoilers though, so be careful if you haven’t read Blood Deep yet!
“Blood Deep does not disappoint and I am looking forward to book five in The Blackthorn Series… I can’t wait to see how the story lines converge and conclude in the future… My rating? A must read. If you haven’t picked up The Blackthorn Series, what are you waiting for?”
Huge thanks, Veena!
Blackthorn has received its first ever 10/10 rating from author, blogger and reviewer, Charles Phipps. I’m a fan of all of Charles’ reviews (his blog is awesome for Sci-fi, Fantasy and Horror fans). This one, just like all his others, doesn’t fail to bring his unique and insightful take on Blackthorn. There are a few minor spoilers in this one too though, so be careful!
“The Blackthorn novels are my favorite Paranormal Romance series. Period… I really liked this book, arguably as much as any other in the series if not more so. This is one of those rare series I think which may get better the further you get into it…”
Thank you so much, Charles!
And today, Tracey Rogers (Author and super-fan) wrote a fabulous 5 star review for her latest journey into Blackthorn. No spoilers with this one!
“The Blackthorn series is simply getting more and more addictive, with a plot that gets stronger and more compelling with each page turn. It’s hard to compare all the books in the series as the author offers something fresh in each one of them, while maintaining the integrity of the world building of Blackthorn… Lindsay J. Pryor doesn’t just glide over boundaries, she tramples right over them… a stunning read. The darkest and sexiest yet. Pure genius!”
I loved it, Tracey. Thank you!
I’d also like to say a BIG thank you to Shani at Paranormal Book Club for her shout-out on Facebook about Blood Deep‘s release last Friday. Shani has already given the first three books rave reviews. Fingers crossed she enjoys Blood Deep as much!
And I’ll finish with a HUGE thank you to Maryse at Maryse’s Book Blog for announcing Blood Deep‘s release too. Some of you may remember I had a mention on there back last year when Ilsa Madden-Mills (NYT and USA Today Bestselling author) appeared from nowhere to sing Blackthorn’s praises. It evoked a LOT of curiosity. Needless to say I was incredibly excited to have had a mention again. Thank you, Maryse!
Phew, that was a lot to fit in! I truly am very grateful for everyone who continues to support my series whether through reviews, shout-outs, tweets or recommending it to friends and family. Thanks for being there and for making Blackthorn so much fun.
I’m currently working on Blood Dark, so I’m now very likely to disappear for a few days. Have a great week and, if you celebrate it, a fun Halloween! xxx
It’s FINALLY here! It’s Blood Deep release day!!! 😀
I am already totally overwhelmed by all the incredible support that has been flooding in since midnight last night. Thank you so, so much for all your emails, tweets, messages, and comments on my Facebook page. For everyone who has taken the day off work especially or, as I’m being told by a few, pulling a sickie (which I couldn’t possibly condone, of course 😉 #GoTeamBlackthorn), just so they can get straight into reading it, I’m beyond thrilled you’re that excited! You truly are making this the best Blackthorn release day ever.
Thanks to you (and the incredibly hard-working people at Bookouture), Blood Deep has gone straight in at #1 this morning on Amazon UK’s Paranormal Vampire Romance chart and Amazon.com’s Gothic Romance chart!
There have been a lot of other things going on in the background too, which you might want to catch…
The AWESOME GraveTells, who have been supporting my series since the very first Blackthorn book, have an exclusive interview with Eden, the hero of Blood Deep, live on their website right now.
Here’s what its owner has to say about the series:
“I’ve been a fan of the Blackthorn series since I read the blurb for the first book – Blood Shadows – and Eden Reece is hands-down my favorite hero so far in the series. That’s saying a lot with all these sexy, commanding supernatural men running around being badass! I had the honor of giving early feedback on Blood Deep during the editing process and it has that same edgy, dark, addicting feel all the other Blackthorn books have, with an even stronger element of risk and danger and I loved it. If you are already a fan of the series, you’re gonna wanna read this ASAP.”
Thank you, Sue, for all your continued support – it means a lot.
Comet Babe’s Books has snagged my first interview in a while, so do head on over if you want to know a little more about me. Jo, who is hosting me, is brand new to the series, but is planning a week of Blackthorn reviews very soon. I’m going to hold on tight for that one! Thanks so much for hosting me today, Jo! I really appreciate it.
And I’m beyond thrilled to tell you that Blood Deep has received its first review – thanks to Shirley at The Romance Cover. And she’s given it 5 stars!! I think my happy dance on seeing it was my most uncoordinated yet.
*Be warned* the review does contain some minor spoilers about the beginning of the book, so you may want to hold on until you’re a little further on before reading, but here’s a safe snippet:
“This is Book 4 in this oh so brilliant Blackthorn Series. Ms Pryor has done it again with this blistering series, seeing all the different sides that make up the complex place called Blackthorn…The viciousness that was The Circus that they had to fight against to keep alive and their growing attraction for each other makes this book a book you cannot put down until you reach the end…a really great read, and a real deserving 5 stars from me.”
Thank you so very much Shirley for taking the time to do this. I’m delighted you enjoyed it!
Hopefully, I’ll have more to share with you over the next couple of weeks – I’ll keep you posted.
But on a more personal note, not only am I celebrating a release day, but it was exactly two years ago this very day that I signed my very first publishing contract – handing my first three Blackthorn books over to the fabulous Bookouture.
They were a new publisher at the time (although its founder had long been well-established in the industry with a brilliant track record) and I was a brand new author. Since then, I’ve watched Bookouture go from strength to strength with incredible new and established authors signed with numerous chart-topping bestsellers in each of their respective sub-genres. I feel really proud to have been a part of it from the beginning.
I also feel very privileged that its Managing Director and Founder, Mr Oliver Rhodes, even took time out today to share a quote on their Facebook page:
“When starting a new business, those first few decisions that you make can be crucial. Thankfully signing Lindsay is still one of the best decisions that I’ve made. Two years on it’s fantastic to see her Blackthorn series so successful and getting such an amazing reception from so many readers.”
How amazing is that? Thanks so much, Oliver! 😀
Hopefully, I’ll continue to do Bookouture proud because it’s not over yet! I’m already being asked for assurance from readers that this isn’t the last Blackthorn book you’re going to get. Absolutely not! I’m underway with writing book 5 – and, before too long, I’ll have an announcement about how many books you can expect in total.
Please keep all your support coming through. I might be a bit slower than usual responding today, but I promise I will get back to you. Connecting with readers truly means a lot to me, so thanks for being there to share my day.
Happy reading, Team Blackthorn!! xxx
* RELEASE DAY UPDATE *
I’m super-excited to tell you that Blood Deep has received its second 5 star review!!! This time from Gaga Over Books!
Again, there are a few minor spoilers involved, so you may not want to read it until after you’ve finished Blood Deep, but here’s a safe snippet of what I think is a fantastically passionate review:
“Blood Deep was… How can I say it? It was brilliant like its predecessors that is for sure. The one thing I kept saying while reading it to my sister was This is sooo good… So, if you want to miss out on awesome characters, amazing story-lines, fantastic world-building, clever writing then don’t read this series… I don’t know what to expect from the fifth book. The anxious waiting has already begun.”
Thank you SO much!! <3
I would also like to thank the wonderfully supportive Moonrise Book Blog for retweeting their Blood Deep cover reveal post today to celebrate Blood Deep‘s release. Thanks hugely for your relentless support of Blackthorn, Stephanie. You’re brilliant.
And, of course, I’m going to extend even more thanks to all my fabulous readers who are continuing to tweet, share, comment, message and email me. You’ve made this day one to remember, that’s for sure! xxx
We only have one more sleep to go, everyone! Blood Deep finally will be yours TOMORROW. 😀 Thank you so much for all the anticipation, excitement and support that continues to pour in. As we hold on for just a little longer, let’s have another Blood Deep Bite to help count down the last hours. This time it’s the tagline for the book:
I’ll be back tomorrow for release day! Sleep tight! 😀 xxx
We only have TWO DAYS left until the release of Blood Deep!! I know lots of you are now counting down the hours (and regularly keeping me up to date about it on Facebook! <3 You’re wonderful!), so I thought it was about time I shared the first Blood Deep Bite to help with the wait…
I also thought it was about time I revealed the full cover:
Don’t forget the eBook of Blood Deep is already available for pre-order. For those wanting the paperback, that’s available for pre-order on Amazon.com now too!
This Friday is the official release day of Blood Deep – book 4 in my Blackthorn series. There are only four days to go, but I know some of my lovely readers are wanting just a sneak peek to help ease the wait. So here we go…
The first three chapters are available for you now! Just click here to read, or visit the ‘Books’ tab above. I do hope you enjoy your taste of what’s to come! 🙂
