Reading at Georgia Tech September 1st

I’ll be reading from FROST MOON and signing both FROST MOON and BLOOD ROCK at Georgia Tech on September 1st … http://libguides.gatech.edu/frostmoon … I guess this means I need to prepare my talk!

-the Centaur

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Your First Taste Is Free …

Frost Moon vs Game of Thrones
For a limited time, FROST MOON is free on Amazon! Which has led to some very flattering company … FROST MOON is #1 on the free list for fantasy, putting it side by side with A GAME OF THRONES by some author you just might have heard of.

If you like FROST MOON, there’s always BLOOD ROCK … you know you wanna …

Interestingly, according to some sources, THE SONG OF ICE AND FIRE is clocking in at around 300K words per book, which means the single first book in George R. R. Martin’s series will be about as long as the first three books of the SKINDANCER series.

Also interestingly, my rough estimate of how many words it would take to finish the entire 7 year Dakota Frost arc puts it at closer to Robert Jordan territory. Eek! Here’s hoping I have the gumption to follow Dakota through to the final line of the final book!

-Anthony

P.S. Yes, I know that’s cheating … I’ve already written the final line of LUMINOUS FROST.

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IT’S HERE…

BLOOD ROCK has arrived at the Olive Tree

IT’S HERE.

BLOOD ROCK has arrived at my home. Order the latest installment in the tale of Dakota Frost at one of these fine booksellers:

and of course, on Kindle.

-the Centaur

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BLOOD ROCK now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble


Huzzah! Everyone who has eagerly awaited returning to the world of magical tattoo artist Dakota Frost can now get your own copy and return to the Edgeworld!

A brief introduction to the story:

Dakota Frost is back, and the ink is about to hit the fan-again.

Graffiti comes to life in the dark heart of Atlanta’s oldest cemetery, slaying one of the city’s best loved vampires before the eyes of his friend Dakota Frost. Deadly magick is at work on the city’s walls, challenging even the amazing power of Dakota’s tattoos to contain it. The hungry, graffiti magick loves to kill, and the Edgeworld is no longer safe from its own kind.

Dakota begins a harrowing journey to save those she loves and to discover the truth behind the spreading graffiti-even if that truth offends the vampires, alienates the werekin and creates police suspicion of her every action.

Saving Atlanta may cost her everything, including custody of her “adopted” weretiger daughter, Cinnamon. But failure is not an option. If the graffiti isn’t stopped, Cinnamon could be the next victim.

An early review looks promising:

Couldn’t put this book down. Fresh gritty concept of living killer grafitti. Dakota, a skindancer with magical tattoos, fights for the magical and human lives of her city.A really fresh story with Weres, vampires, and tattoos that lift off her skin to protect her. This book could stand alone, but grab Frost Moon book 1 and start there. This is a female Harry Dresden. Anthony Francis has freakishly good worldbuilding skills.

I’m highly flattered! If you like dark urban fantasy with a twist of science thrown in, please check it out!

-the Centaur

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Preorders for BLOOD ROCK coming together

a list of preorders blurred to protect teh innocent

Over 20 people have preordered BLOOD ROCK so far, and I think we’ve got a system forming up. It looks something like this:

  • You tell me you want it, either via email at orders at dakotafrost dot com, via comments on this post, or on the comment thread on Dakota’s Facebook page.
  • I sign a bookplate for you and send it to Bell Bridge Books.
  • You contact Bell Bridge Books to place your order.
  • You mention that you’re on the Preorders list.
  • They put your bookplate in your book and send it to you!

Hm … there probably should be a payment step somewhere in there. 🙂 Details, details.

If you want a personalized bookplate, please let me know soon … I’ll be taking preorders up until August 16th, the current date we expect the book to come out.

-the Centaur

P.S. Oh, by the way … did I mention I’ll be doing a small sketch in the bookplates?

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This is your LAST chance to fix errors.

first page of the page proofs for blood rock

The Page Proofs for BLOOD ROCK are now in my hands. They’re due back in the editor’s hands on the 25th – ideally, by this Tuesday the 19th. Not sure I can pull this off and prep for the reading Wednesday morning, but … Here we go!

-the Centaur

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v one hundred effin ten

the copy edit is done

copy edit is away!

-the Centaur

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BLOOD ROCK in copyedits

copy edits of blood rock

We’re in the copy editing phase. Very close now. Still on track for the 16th of August.

-the Centaur

P.S. And yes, it should be “response”, and yes, we will take all that out before it’s published anyway. 🙂

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BLOOD ROCK is on the air

the centaur on the air

So I’ve now read the first installment of BLOOD ROCK on the air at KFJC. The MP3 of the broadcast will be available for only two weeks, so tune in now.

the kfjc logo

Ann Arbor broadcasts Dancin’ In The Fast Lane out of KFJC once a week. Shh, don’t tell anyone, but I think I found where she parks her TARDIS:

ann arbor's tardis

KFJC has been broadcasting from Foothill College for 50 years – starting in a broom closet! Their current offices are cramped but provide more space:

kfjc's offices

Consider supporting KFJC; I know they take donations.

God willing, I’ll be reading BLOOD ROCK there for the rest of July. Enjoy!
-the Centaur

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Preparing the Reading

blood rock radio script, updated

I thought it might be useful to see the script a bit closer to completion. The script-style “SPEAKER: Dialogue goes here” style is my idea, and the color coding is an idea suggested by my wife (I’d been thinking of it but it was her suggestion that prompted me to actually do it). I also time it, and put time notes in the script when producing the sound bed – the list of music tracks that goes with the dialogue. Previously the time notes were scribbled notes on a printout, but I’ve got a little more time now so I’m doing it right. Oh, and I’ve eliminated the Seven Dirty Words – trickier than it sounds as you can’t easily do a search and replace.

I prefer to practice at least three times – once to get timing, once with the soundbed, and once for polish. If time permits, I do these on the three evenings prior to appearing on Ann Arbor’s show just before going to bed, as there’s some evidence that sleep improves memory consolidation (e.g., here, here and here).

But having a nice relaxed holiday afternoon to practice counts too.

See you all tomorrow at 7:20AM on Ann Arbor’s Unbedtime Stories.

-the Centaur

Pictured: a screenshot of the reading script.

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