Favorite Novel 2016 Edition: Silver on the Road by Laura Anne Gilman

Each year, I try to read between 100 and 150 books - and usually end up somewhere between those two points. I rarely review a book, and I never post about books I didn't care for - there's little point to an author essentially saying to another author, "Hey, your book sucked and here's why." Not nice, right? And while I read a number of books this past year that I really enjoyed, picking my favorite of 2016 was actually pretty easy.

It's almost always a book that leaves me wanting more, waiting for the next one in the series (if it's part of one), and silently urging the author to write faster, damn it.

So, for 2016, my favorite novel is SILVER ON THE ROAD by Laura Anne Gilman. (Full disclosure: I've known Laura Anne for many years, and consider her a friend.) I'm going to steal the short blurb from Goodreads:

On her sixteenth birthday, Isobel makes the choice to work for the devil in his territory west of the Mississippi. But this is not the devil you know. This is a being who deals fairly with immense—but not unlimited—power, who offers opportunities to people who want to make a deal, and makes sure they always get what they deserve. But his land is a wild west that needs a human touch, and that’s where Izzy comes in. Inadvertently trained by him to see the clues in and manipulations of human desire, Izzy is raised to be his left hand and travel the circuitous road through the territory. As we all know, where there is magic there is power and chaos…and death.

Laura Anne's writing just gets better and better. She conveys story and character with grace, power, and originality in a way that makes me just a little bit jealous. The next book in the series, THE COLD EYE, is due out in just a couple of weeks, and I can't wait to get my hands on it. I love westerns, love fantasy, and this one combines them in a way that no one else is doing. If you haven't read it, check it out - this one will knock your socks off.

What did you read this past year that you really loved? 

Read on,

Russell

Holiday Book Buying and Going out of Print

As the holiday season heads into its final days, aren't you thinking about last minuted gifts or stocking stuffers? Of course you are! And what better gift than a book?

On January 15th, my two collections, THE END OF ALL SEASONS (free on Kindle Unlimited and only $2.99 otherwise in ebook form) and WALTZING WITH THE DEAD ($2.99 in ebook format) as well as my short SF novel TOUCHLESS ($2.99 in ebook format) will all be going out of print. You can find all my books on Amazon at my author page. 

All three are also available in trade paperback, and if you want, I'll even send you a signed bookplate - just CONTACT ME with an address, and if you want it personalized, and I'll send it along at no cost to you.

If you already have all these titles, then may I suggest you pick up my newest novel, co-written with the amazing Laurie Moore? It's called MURDER INK, and Library Journal said it was "a refreshingly different take on the police procedural... The plot is handled deftly, and Dakota is a compelling protagonist who has worked hard to overcome her troubled past." 

I hope you and your entire family have a marvelous holiday season!

Read on,

Russell Davis

MURDER INK - BOMBING DAY 2

Our second day of promotion for the new novel continues, but then we promise to stop for at least a couple of days!

Murder Ink, the new thriller from Laurie Moore and Russell Davis, is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retail outlets. Library Journal said, "... a refreshingly different take on the police procedural... The plot is handled deftly and Dakota is a compelling protagonist..." 

Today, we need your help to get the word out to as many people as possible. Please POST or SHARE links to the book on your Facebook and Twitter feeds, as well as any other social media platforms you belong to. It's great when you give us a "like," and it does help, but unique posts and shares with tags (on Facebook) and new tweets/retweets help more people see the book. As many of you know, getting a new book notice is genuinely challenging these days. Help us get Dakota Jones, P.I. off to a great start!

If you haven't already ordered your copy, it's available in ebook, trade paperback, and even hardcover - so get your copy today and be sure to leave us a review! If you do, you can send us a message, and we'll send you a signed bookplate.

Thanks,

Laurie Moore & Russell Davis

MURDER INK - RELEASE DAY BOOK BOMB

Murder Ink, the new thriller from Laurie Moore and Russell Davis, is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retail outlets. Library Journal said, "... a refreshingly different take on the police procedural... The plot is handled deftly and Dakota is a compelling protagonist..."  We also made the Washington Blade's FALL ARTS 2016 "Looking for a Good Book" column!

Today, we're asking for your help to get the word out to as many people as possible. Please post links to your Facebook and Twitter feeds, as well as any other social media platforms you belong to, and help us get Dakota Jones, P.I. off to a great start!

Oh, and if you haven't already ordered your copy, it's available in ebook, trade paperback, and even hardcover - so get your copy today and be sure to leave us a review! Thanks, Laurie Moore &Russell Davis

MURDER INK - Library Journal Review

The first trade review for my newest release, MURDER INK, is from Library Journal. While the text hasn't made its way to Amazon yet, it is up on Barnes & Noble, so I'll share it in full here:

"Years ago, Dakota Jones worked as an escort but then won the lottery and reinvented herself. She now helms Runaway Investigations, which specializes in tracking down missing teenagers and patients with Alzheimer's. She shares a lovely home with girlfriend Kris Carson, a homicide investigator for the Phoenix PD. When Dakota's former boss at the escort service is murdered in a highly ritualized manner, Kris and Dakota's relationship takes a hit because Kris hates being reminded of Dakota's previous work. While Kris and colleague Hamilton Stark investigate what appears to be a killer targeting escorts, Dakota looks for a missing teen. The two cases collide in an explosion of gunfire and arson. In a refreshingly different take on the police procedural, the narrative alternates between Kris and Dakota's efforts to live a normal life and the parallel investigations. The plot is handled deftly, and Dakota is a compelling protagonist who has worked hard to overcome her troubled past. VERDICT Add this to the growing pantheon of titles starring lesbian detectives, including Katherine V. Forrest's Kate Delafield and Claire McNab's Carol Ashton, Kylie Kendall, and Denise Cleever." - Library Journal, 10/1/16

The added emphasis is mine, of course. If you haven't already done so, you can pre-order the book in paperback or hardcover on Barnes & Noble, and on Kindle at Amazon. And don't forget, we're hoping to get a full-scale book bomb going on October 1-2!

Read on, write on,

Russell

The New Novel, MURDER INK

It's been a long time coming. A very long time.

I originally came up with the basic idea for this novel all the way back in 2004. And I knew right away that when I finished the outline, I wanted Laurie Moore to write it with me. I think we started on it in 2005 and finished sometime in 2006 - it was a long time ago, so forgive my somewhat hazy memory. And we sent it out and... kersplat! Nothing. I think people were a little afraid of it, to be honest.

But here we are, and in just over a week, our first book in the Dakota Jones, P.I. series will be live and real. If it goes well, we'll probably write another one. If not, well, at least we eventually got it published. And that wouldn't have happened without the kindness of David Niall Wilson, the Publisher at Crossroads Press. I know we're both grateful for everything he's done to help us bring Dakota Jones to life.

Here's the cover copy, should you care to read it:

Dakota Jones, nouveau riche owner of Runaway Investigations, expects a quiet Thanksgiving with her girlfriend, Kris Carson, a homicide investigator with the Phoenix Police Department. But Kris gets called in to work, spoiling their long-awaited day together. Celia St. Claire, the madam of Fantasy Escorts, Unlimited—a high-dollar escort service—was found murdered and her body posed at a grisly scene, and Kris’s police partner, Hamilton Stark is asking for Kris’s assistance with the investigation. It looks like someone had a grudge to settle with Celia until another fantasy escort is found murdered a few days later. Then a third fantasy escort is found dead, and a pattern begins to emerge in the clues from each victim—henna tattoos, with lyrics from popular songs, and missing locks of hair. 

Dakota, who once worked as a fantasy escort for Celia, wants the murders solved but Kris, who’s glad Dakota left her old life, wants her to stay out of the investigation and distance herself, despite phone calls from the remaining escorts who are begging for Dakota’s help. Jealousy between Hamilton and Dakota for Kris’s time and affection erupts as the two detectives work the pattern killer cases; after all, Kris once had a meaningless fling with Hamilton and it’s getting in the way again. Then grizzled stranger Travis Creeley—one of Dakota’s former fantasy clients?—appears in town looking for his daughter while Dakota searches for a missing teenaged neighbor, a wealthy member of the Goth culture and aspiring henna tattoo artist. 

Could the teenager be involved, or know who’s responsible for the murders? Hindered by local politics, Kris and Hamilton must accept Dakota’s help as they work parallel investigations in order to stop the murders and find justice for the victims now that Kris and Dakota find themselves targets of a frightening pattern-killer.

We're hoping for a strong launch and preliminary signs are good, but we could really use your help. I'm looking for anyone who's willing to be part of an online book bomb this coming Sunday and Monday, October 2-3. What's a book bomb? Easy - help us get the word out. Post about the book on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc., during those days, and if you're feeling generous, order a copy and (this is important, thanks to Amazon's algorithms) leave us a review when you've read it. We're also happy to do interviews (blog, radio, television, etc.) as well as live chats, and just about anything else you can think of, bearing in mind that Laurie lives in Texas and I'm in Florida.

I'll be posting more on this over the next week, but in the meantime, if you're willing to help out, please contact me - send a message via Facebook or an email to writer(at)morningstormbooks.com.

As always, write on - and read on!

Russell