LOST SOULS has launched!  I'm thrilled to announce that Book #8 in the Demon Trappers series is now available on Amazon (print and e-book), iBooks, Kobo and GooglePlay (e-books only). Links can be found on my website under the Demon Trappers' section. The first four chapters are on my blog in case you'd like to check those out. And there's even a video! This is Simon Adler's story, Riley's infamous ex-boyfriend. I always suspected Simon would tell it to me when he was ready. As the world learned new ways to cope with the pandemic, I hunkered down in our apartment and wrote. And wrote some more. It was my way of dealing with the unholy stress. That and a lot of handwashing. New characters are introduced in LOST SOULS, favorite characters return. But above all, this is Simon's story and I am honored he trusted me to share it. New Editions Demon Trappers #1 - 4 Early last year my U.S. publisher (St. Martin's Griffin) reverted the rights to the first four books in the series, which means our little MageSpell publishing house can now sell them within certain countries worldwide. (St. Martin's will continue to to sell print copies of their editions until their stock is depleted.) This meant that I needed to re-read the books, find any discrepancies (there are always some), and then proof the manuscripts. Then there was the typesetting for both the print and e-book editions (we do our own), more proofing, plus new covers. Clarissa Yeo (YoclaDesigns.com) was in charge of that very important part as she's also the cover artist for the other four books in the series. Then there was the battle with Amazon to prove that YES, I DO hold the rights to these books and for them to upload them for sale. That took well over a month, along with a lot of swearing and too much whisky. All in the middle of a cross country move (rolls eyes). Two of the titles have changed: DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER is now FORSAKEN and SOUL THIEF is now FORBIDDEN. These now match the U.K. titles so hopefully there will be less confusion. Since I am still under contract with my U.K. publisher (Macmillan Children's Books) these new editions may not be available in some of the countries where MacKids holds those publishing rights.  And for those who have read the series, that is Ori on FORBIDDEN's cover and Beck on FORETOLD's. I ADORE these! When Clarissa sent me the images for approval, all I could say was, "WOW! You nailed them!"  To find the links to online retailers that offer these books, go HERE. We Bought a House!  When we moved to Portugal in 2017 we chose Porto as our new home, the second largest city in the country (see the top arrow on the map). Porto is full of history, culture, great food and great people. It is also a vibrant city which means there's a lot of street noise, trash collections in the middle of the night, and construction. Tons of construction, which is a good thing for the economy but hard on those who like quiet and are light sleepers (raises hand). We didn't notice the noise issue quite as much until after the Lockdown when the city went eerily silent. No planes, no sirens, nothing. When it began opening up again, that's when we realized exactly how noisy it could be. Then the beautiful green park right under our living room windows was leveled (weeps) and a hotel/shopping center began construction -- at least a two year project -- and we knew it was time to move. Which made us sad as we LOVED that apartment, the neighborhood and the city. When friends relocated to the Miranda do Corvo area (see second arrow on the map for that region) we visited their new house and were in awe of JUST HOW QUIET IT WAS. Like stunningly quiet with no need for my white noise app on my iPhone to help me sleep. Unreal. Since we'd spent most of the pandemic studying real estate sites (just to kill time) we knew how much a house would cost in and around Porto (a lot). Central Portugal is less pricey so we visited one house we really liked, but it was a bit too small. The next house we viewed was the one we bought. The process was painstakingly slow, but eventually we moved in early November. Ironically, the house is a bit larger than we need but the view is stunning. And there is a space for a garden! For us former Iowans who once lived on a farm, this was perfect for us. Now that all the boxes are unpacked (I have my very own office once again!) we are sincerely enjoying our new home. I'll be sharing more pictures of the area in future newsletters along with any stories worth sharing. Because there are always tales when you live in a foreign country and are still learning the language. Oh, yeah, sooo many tales.  View of a nearby village A Day Trip to Gondramaz There are a number of schist villages in our area with their unique old stone houses. The villages are located in the mountains so there's hiking and biking trails, lots of lodging options, plus great scenery. When a sunny day finally arrived (winter in our area can be rainy and foggy), we took a trip to Gondramaz. We wandered around enjoying the fresh air, the quaint village, and then had a really good lunch at their restaurant (Patio do Xisto). It was a grand day out, one that we needed after all the hassles involved with the move. We intend to do more exploring on those days when the weather cooperates because it's fun and let's be honest, we both really need the exercise. ;-) Until next time! Jana Copyright (c) 2022 MageSpell LLC Demon Trappers® is a registered trademark of Jana G. Oliver Comments are closed.
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Jana Oliveris an international & multi award-winning author in various genres including young adult, urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Archives
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