My Mind is Blown

I don’t know what I was expecting when I released the reworked 2nd edition of Art of Death, but it wasn’t this.

Things have been amazing. All my memories of release days past are clouded by a haze of anxiety, stress, and even depression. I call it post-project blues. I’m not claiming there wasn’t any of that this time around—but there’s also been a whole lot of joy that I hadn’t anticipated.

It started with Art of Death getting into the top 10 in its genres on Amazon. I bounced up and down a bit and then promptly forbade myself from ever checking numbers again. (I know my vices.) All I needed to know was that people were buying the book.

After that came reviews far better than I could have dreamed. 5 stars from Joyfully Jay, 5 stars from Reviews by Jaye, and 4 stars from the Paranormal Romance Guild. My head is spinning like a helicopter leaf off a maple tree.

When I say that I was shocked by the good reviews, I don’t mean that I have low confidence in myself or my book. But I do spend a lot of time pondering my reasons for writing the types of stories I write, which are niche to say the least. Art of Death is a gay urban fantasy with flawed protagonists and antiheroes – not a romance, but with a bit of dark romance on the side. Serial killers, betrayals, depression, survivor’s guilt—it’s not fluff, that’s for sure.

I don’t write dark stories for the sake of reveling in darkness. I write them because I have a drive to claw away at the shadows in order to grasp the rays of light that I know will start spilling in if only I dig hard enough. I have endless faith that those rays of light are always there. When the light peers out from between the shadows, it shines that much brighter, and we appreciate it that much more.

A compatible audience for darker, edgier stories isn’t always easy to find, and I’m blown away by the fact that there are people out there who can relate to my characters and my world, and who even look forward to the next installment. These are the moments that make the struggle worthwhile. I’m more pumped than ever for books 2 and 3! There’s a lot more dark, but also a hell of a lot of light.

I’ve also had some new blog tour stops! Here are the latest:

Wednesday, September 4
MM Midnight Cafe – Exclusive Post and Review

Thursday, September 5
Reviews by Jaye – Review

Friday, September 6
Love Bytes – Exclusive Post

Saturday, September 7
Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author – Exclusive Post

Sunday, September 8
Boy Meets Boy Reviews – New Release Post

The tour includes an Amazon gift card giveaway, so don’t forget to sign up! More is coming soon!