Archon E-Book On Sale!!

Snatch Archon's e-book up for only $1.99 now through June 23!! The sale is available across most major e-reader platforms. http://harpervoyagerbooks.com/2014/06/04/voyager-books-on-ebook-sale-for-three-weeks/
Happy reading! :-D

Podcast Interviews--On Covenant!

I was fortunate enough to participate in two great podcast interviews shortly before and after Covenant's release date! If you'd like some deeper insight into what is going on with The Books of Raziel series, what some of my favorite anime are, what I miss most about college, and how intimidating it is to be a writer live the writing life (and somehow survive  the process), check them out at these fine, fine, links:


http://www.talechasing.com/2014/04/485/ Great interview with Kimi Alexandre!


and


http://non-productive.com/episodes/the-loud-idiots-%e2%80%99taker-covenant-and-taffeta-oh-my/


I always welcome thoughts and feedback. :-D

Covenant Virtual Book Tour & Archon Giveaway!

Today marks the official start of Covenant's virtual book tour at Bewitching Book Tours! Visit the official page--the link to which I will provide below--to see a comprehensive list of tour stops, perhaps get a little taste of the novel, and also enter a giveaway to win one of three print copies of Archon, the first book in The Books of Raziel series!




The tour consists of guest posts and interviews, so you can look for things like just why I prefer to write fantasy fiction, inspirations for Covenant, and what terrifies an author like me (such as zombies and reviews of my own books of course).




Here is the promised link: http://bewitchingbooktours.blogspot.com/2014/03/now-on-tour-covenant-by-sabrina-benulis.html


Good luck! :-D

Archon E-Book on Sale for $1.99 !!

If you've been waiting for Archon to go on sale, now's your chance! The e-book of Archon will be on sale for all e-book platforms (Kindle, ITunes, etc.) until February 17 for just $1.99. How can you beat that?


Here's the relevant links for the Archon sale at major e-book retailers Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and ITunes:
http://www.amazon.com/Archon-Books-Raziel-Sabrina-Benulis-ebook/dp/B005AJZSZI
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/archon-sabrina-benulis/1104158559?ean=9780062069450
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/archon/id448480105?mt=11
More relevant links will appear if and as I acquire them!


And if you're wondering about Covenant, galley copies of the book have already been sent for early review and the novel will officially be released April 1, 2014.  Pre-orders are available at almost all online retail booksellers!


Look for more information about Covenant here as the release date approaches! :-D

Book Description for Covenant Finally Up!

At last I can say that a proper book description for Covenant is up on Amazon and other such websites! Now you can check it out before it hits Goodreads. :-) http://www.amazon.com/Covenant-Books-Raziel-Sabrina-Benulis-ebook/dp/B00BATEIDK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386715399&sr=8-1&keywords=covenant+benulis

In other related news, the upcoming release of Covenant means the first draft of Book 3 by spring.  Things look more on the ball this time, so with any luck this means a Summer 2015 release date for the last book in the trilogy.  Oh, the milestones.....

Eternal Shadows by Kate Martin Free Halloween E-Book Giveaway

Precious few vampire novels entertain me. And when we're talking about novels in a series, even fewer hold my interest into the next installment. This novel happens to be an exception on both counts. Eternal Shadows is a novel written by a good friend who also happens to be a talented author, Kate Martin. However, our friendship aside, this book is truly good.  It was one of the first I'd read in a long while where I was eager to read more once it was over.

Curious?

Here's the description of Eternal Shadows as written by Kate:

Vampires aren't supposed to be real, and Kassandra is not supposed to be one of them. But on the morning of her eighteenth birthday she wakes with fangs, a hunger for blood, and a body with abilities she can't control. Turned by the irritating, yet handsome, Rhys O'Shea, Kassandra struggles to balance her former human life with her new life as one of the undead.

With the world at war, the vampires have stepped in--but if the existence of the supernatural is exposed, then an entirely new battle will erupt. A battle for survival that will forever alter the future.
But the past may be just as dangerous. Kassandra can't stop the dreams of a young Irish girl in the medieval countryside, a girl who smiles when Rhys comes near, nor can she shake a looming sense of doom. The last time she felt this dark chill her mother died, and now Kassandra could be next.

And here's the snazzy cover:

And best of all, Kate is offering her book on Amazon.com for FREE on Halloween!
http://www.amazon.com/Eternal-Shadows-Kate-Martin-ebook/dp/B00G8NPUK8/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383096783&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=eternal+shadows+kate+martin

I'm never afraid to endorse a good book.  Well--this book has my full endorsement! Check out my Goodreads review of Eternal Shadows here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/282016472

If you want to learn more, visit the Eternal Shadows FB fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eternal-Shadows/245686275498248

Or drop Kate a line on Twitter: https://twitter.com/katewmartin

Thank you fans, and happy reading! :-)
  

Covenant (Book 2) Official Cover Reveal

This is one lovely cover!!!

I doubt anyone will have an idea of what the second book is about just by looking at this picture, but I always find everyone's conjectures intriguing . . .

Isn't this just gorgeous???

For now, the April release date should hold.  Believe me, if anyone wants it to hold, than that person is me.

More news when I have it!

April Can't Come Fast Enough

Or can it?  Because I'm really not ready to shop for Christmas gifts anytime soon . . .

Anyway, so far things are looking like a 'go' for Covenant's April 2014 release date and I am just keeping my fingers crossed that turns out to be the case.  If any of you are curious as to why the delay, I honestly have no idea why either.  They just tell me when the release dates of my books are--we authors have a lot less control than you think we do.  >_<

But I should be entering final draft territory this summer/fall, and then it's off to copyediting, and then the rest should be history.

I would LOVE to reveal the cover but I have to wait for the go ahead. Honestly, though, I think it might surpass Archon's in the end, and that's saying something!

Look for more updates soon--hopefully one heck of a cover reveal is on its way!

<3

Cover Reveal for Jason Jack Miller's: The Revelations of Preston Black

Hi readers and fans.  :-)  Today I have something special for you.  One of my good friends from grad school has recently published another novel in his supernatural Preston Black series and I've been one of the lucky people asked to participate in the grand cover reveal! TA DA!  Isn't this cover just so modern and spiffy?  hehe 

If you haven't heard of it, this is a great book series with a killer concept that should be welcome to fans of Archon or just thrillers of the paranormal kind in general.  Just read the description below, and be sure to check out more of Jason's books at his Goodreads page here: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4729752.Jason_Jack_Miller




THE REVELATIONS OF PRESTON BLACK BY JASON JACK MILLER
Coming June 2013 from Raw Dog Screaming Press Cover Art by Brad Vetter
Preston and Katy face a new darkness.... Sometimes a battle between good and evil doesn't look much like the ones they show in movies. The good guys don't always wear white, and they don’t always walk away with the win.
And sometimes you're better off with the devil you know.
The last time Preston went down to the crossroads, his best friend died and he nearly lost his brother. But Old Scratch doesn't take kindly to fools, especially not those who come knocking at his front door. And before all is said and done, he's going to teach Preston a thing or two about what it really means to sacrifice.
LINKS: Read the first 100 pages of The Revelations of Preston Black - http://jasonjackmiller.blogspot.com/p/the-revelations-of-preston-black.html
Pre-order The Revelations of Preston Black at Raw Dog Screaming Press - http://www.rawdogscreaming.com/books/the-revelations-of-preston-black.html

Happy reading, everyone! And congrats, Jason, on the awesome cover!

Love Archon's cover?

If so, here's some great news! Archon has been nominated at Aussie Owned & Read's website for best international YA book cover, but I need your help to win the contest!  The link is here: http://aussieownedandread.com/2013/04/25/743/ . Just scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the link to vote! Easy peasy. 

You know, I am not certain if you have to be an Australian native to vote, but hey, every little bit counts!

My travel bucket list now officially has a kangaroo on it.  :-D

Oh, yeah, and my lil Aussie birdie says THANKS BUNCHES EVERYONE!

THANKS!!!!!

Status of Book 2--We're Getting There!

For me, writing a first draft is often the most magical part of creating a novel.  When I am that deeply invested in a story, so immersed in it that I almost eat, drink and breathe it, there is no describing the feeling.  Like I am watching a movie reel and simply noting what I see, I sit back and type as events unfold before my eyes.  Surprises happen.  Plots twists come out of nowhere.  Sometimes everything I had originally planned for a story takes a turn in the opposite direction.

That's the real enchantment of writing .  Then--there comes the hard work.  By hard work I mean re-writes and revisions.

Revisions are difficult enough.  They often involve some re-writing, editing, cutting, expanding, pretty much anything you can think of that would twist your story around in the direction your editor finds necessary.  But your original vision was there in its truest form.

Re-writes, however, are another beast entirely.  They are brand new first drafts.  They are taking the 5% of your previous first draft that actually worked and creating something the same yet entirely new. In other words, they involve the same investment as the original first draft if not more so, because now you have to make sure certain things are different no matter where you planned the story to go.

Last November, I finished the first draft of Covenant.  Months later, I was told I needed to re-think the general direction of my story. This month, I delivered a new story as promised.

Now I wait.

If all goes well, Covenant will enter into the revision stage sometime later this winter.  I can only keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best, like all authors do. 

This is a common plight for writers.  When our publishers say jump, we must often reply, "How high?"  But that isn't really a bad thing in the long run.

It's just teaching us that we can always jump higher than we originally thought.

So I jumped higher with this version of Book 2.  We're getting there, so I thank from the bottom of my heart every fan and interested reader for their patience.  Hopefully by this spring, Covenant will be solidly on its way to production.  Just one more moment yet--and my, how time flies . . .

Archon Paperback Now Available!

Ah, November 6, a momentous day for both the United States and little old Sabrina.  Today our country gets a new president, and I as a happy author get to see a new edition of Archon go up for sale.  Look for a much overdue glossary in the back of Archon's paperback edition, as well as those optimistic ending words: To Be Continued.  Also, check out the new low price at these fine online retailers:

http://www.amazon.com/Archon-Books-Raziel-Sabrina-Benulis/dp/0062116908/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352212666&sr=1-1&keywords=Archon+Sabrina+Benulis

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/archon-sabrina-benulis/1104158559

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062116901

http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Archon/Sabrina-Benulis/9780062116901

http://www.bookdepository.com/Archon-Sabrina-Benulis/9780062116901

Happy reading! :-)

Author Interview at Fantasy Books Blog

This particular blog author interview comes courtesy of a reader named Sabrina (no I am not joking or making that up haha) who much like my previous blog interviewer is also from Romania.  The interview itself is in Romanian, but thanks to the magic of Google Translate, you shouldn't have any difficulty copying and pasting if you are interested.  :-)

Find it here at: http://www.justfantasybooksadis.blogspot.ro/2012/10/interviu-cu-sabrina-benulis-archon.html .

Okay, the translation isn't perfect, but you get the gist of things, right?  >_<

Email me if you need solid clarification.

Only a few days till the Archon paperback goes on sale and I am hard at work on the second book.  Because, you see, us authors are always horrendously hard at work . . .

Author Interview at I Eat The Books Blog

My latest interview comes courtesy of a generous book blogger all the way in Romania!  Check it out if you're interested in what fantasy creature I would actually like to be if I had a choice, my current passion other than writing, and of course, the ultimate advice for any would-be writer or author. 

Here's the link at: http://ieatthebooks.blogspot.com/2012/09/interview-sabrina-benulis-author-of.html?spref=tw

In other news, the countdown to the Archon paperback has begun.  About a month or so to go. :-)

Finally-Revisions On Covenant Begin!

At long last I have received the editorial notes for Book #2 in The Books of Raziel series! 

How do things look?  Well, to sum everything up, I have a lot of work to do.  That isn't too surprising--many authors have to work long and hard on the second book of a series to get it right.  But I hope my fans can be patient, because I will be doing my best to make the story as enthralling as I can.

That being said, I would like to open up this post to any fans with opinions out there.  I would love to hear what characters you are most looking forward to seeing again, and also where you think the story might be headed.

I can't make any promises that is how the story will ultimately turn out, but it's always nifty to jump into a reader's head.

So feel free to post or message me if you have any fun comments/thoughts.

I'll update again soon, especially considering that the paperback for Archon is coming out on November 6, 2012, and I am hoping to do at least one or two giveaways in celebration. :-)

And now . . . I've got to put my nose back to the grindstone . . .

Status of The Books of Raziel, Book #2

Okay everyone--I'm going to admit that waiting sucks.

I have been getting questions from various people about when Book #2 will be released, etc.  So I'm going to tell you what I know right now.

Here's the skinny on what's going down over at HarperCollins: I have line edits for Covenant.  Unfortunately, I still do not have the editorial notes.  Without them, I can't revise the book.  And so I wait, and wait, and wait. And in the meantime I keep myself busy, because just sitting there and waiting would be plain dumb, right?

The publication date right now is June of 2013, though this could change.  Believe me, I was hoping for sooner rather than later, but we authors have no say over release dates.  >_>   So I hope you can all be patient with me, everyone!  I am doing my best for us all.  Honestly, it kills me because I love Book # 2 and I know you will too.  But, hey, such is life.

Be assured, however, that I will keep everyone updated when I am updated.

In the meantime, Archon will be released in paperback on November 6 of 2012, which is an amazing milestone for any author.  The content remains the same, although I was able to include a helpful glossary this time--something I had hoped for with the hardcover.  Also, the final words at the end of the paperback now say, "To Be Continued" if only because I never realized how many people read Archon and thought it was both the beginning and end of the story.  Far from it! Stupid me, I know . . . O_O

Anyway, if anyone else has any questions for me, feel free to contact me here, or through email, FB, Twitter, etc.  I'll make sure to get back to you ASAP.

Fairies were angels?

Well, at least that's one theory of where fairies come from. 

In Archon, Tileaf the oak fairy is a fallen angel who, along with other angels in the past who thought similarly, decided to live on Earth in symbiosis with nature rather than in the false peace of Heaven. (Don't worry, kiddos.  This isn't really a spoiler, per say).

Many people have been asking me about this idea and where I got it from, and unfortunately there are a few people who became confused by it--perhaps because it is a concept that isn't used often in fantasy novels.  But the nerdy angel/fairy scholar that I am, I had to use it.  It just fit perfectly with the book.

Don't believe me that it's a legitimate "theory"?  Here's a snippet from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy#Demoted_angels:

Demoted angels
A third belief held that they were a class of "demoted" angels.^[22] One popular story held that when the angels revolted, God ordered the gates shut; those still in heaven remained angels, those in hell became devils, and those caught in between became fairies.^[23] Others held that they had been thrown out of heaven, not being good enough, but they were not evil enough for hell.^[24] This may explain the tradition that they had to pay a "teind" or tithe to Hell. As fallen angels, though not quite devils, they could be seen as subject of the Devil.^[25] For a similar concept in Persian mythology, see Peri.

Fascinating, right?

So the opposition to this idea --rare that it might be--is rather strange.  I don't often take the time to address misconceptions about Archon, but this one was so odd, I couldn't really help it.

Well, in either case, I think it would make an excellent spin-off story.  Do you think that fairies being linked to angels is unusual? 

Or have we all become a little too used to what fairies are and aren't supposed to be?

So where did the term "Blood Head" come from anyway?

Find out in my latest interview about Archon with blog owner Dana Wright at her blog Zombie Girl Shambling:

http://zombiegirlshambling.blogspot.com/2012/06/archon-by-sabrina-benulis-interview.html .  Dana not only gave Archon a great review, but she also asked me some questions that were truly unique.  I guarantee that reading this will clear up a few misconceptions, give you some fascinating answers, and even provide a tiny sneak peek at what to expect in Book 2!

 

Also, I received my first piece of official fanart a week ago! I'll be putting an awesome drawing of Troy up on my website asap.

 

If there are any other fans out there who enjoyed Archon and also like making fanart, I'd love to see what you can do. ;-)

 

Great Review from Newspaper in Malaysia!

Archon just received a great review from a newspaper in Malaysia.  Check it out here at: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/389068

This is mind-blowing for me as it is finally hitting me just how far this book is traveling. 

Amazing stuff.  

Also, I am currently remodeling my kitchen and am knee-deep in piles of stress.  Who would have thought that choosing backsplash tile would be such a grueling process?  Better Homes & Gardens made it look easier than this . . . >_<

BAM Signing/Panel was great fun!

The panel/book signing event at the Books-a-Million in Harrisburg, PA was a lot of fun, and I'd once again like to thank the fans and attendees who showed up, as well as the authors who I met while I was there.  Here's a picture from the event:

I'm the middle with the bright blue shirt.  To my left in the yellow jacket is romance author Gwyn Cready, historical fiction author Mitchell J. Kaplan, and author Meredith Mileti.  To my right is fantasy author Maria V. Snyder and romance/literary fiction/horror author Megan Hart.

I already knew Maria from Seton Hill University, but meeting everyone else was very nice.  I had actually seen one of Megan Hart's books in my local Weis grocery store and (except for already knowing Maria who is a bestselling author) felt like I was in the presence of a celebrity. :-)  Funny how we authors gauge our current fame based on K-mart, Wal-mart, and food chains. If you'd made it there, you know you're doing good.

Cute little factoid, the booksellers at the store chose balloon colors for each of us based on our books covers.  That I got balloons in black, red, and white should be no surprise!

Well anyway, as for right now, I am waiting for editorial notes for Book 2, as well as beginning another super secret project no one will be able to guess.

And I mean no one. *grin*