Nargles...at this time of year?

There seems to have been a small hiccup in the mass-market trade paperback release of The Fallen Queen, scheduled for May 15, and the new edition is not yet available. As a result, some of the pre-order links have stopped working (or have disappeared entirely), while others are still indicating that pre-orders can be taken.

My publisher is currently trying to sort this out with the distributor, but we expect the book to be available by June 1 at the latest. My virtual book release tour, originally scheduled to begin this week, will resume once the distribution has been sorted. My sincere apologies to anyone who pre-ordered the book and was expecting it to be delivered yesterday, as well as to the bloggers whose schedules have been or may be inconvenienced by the rescheduling.

As a small consolation, if you're still awaiting your book, drop me an email with your mailing address and I'll send you a signed Fallen Queen bookmark.

TFQ bookmark

Acknowledgments

While working on my Acknowledgments page for The Midnight Court, it occured to me that many of the people I thanked in The Fallen Queen may have missed that they were mentioned. So for those who didn't see it in the back of the book or just haven't had a chance to pick up a copy, I thought I'd print it up here: My deepest gratitude goes out to the people who believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself: Martin Pedersen, for reading my fanciful stories from his home across the sea and always telling it like it is; Stephanie Rossi, for listening to me talk about the people in my head as if they have lives of their own (they do) and only occasionally looking at me as if I’m certifiable (I am); Cat Ellen, my cheerleader, for reading voraciously and wanting more; Daphne Phillips, whose invaluable critique made my work stronger and whom I adore for adoring my boys; Diana, my first reader, whose appreciation of my dark side sometimes prompts me to write scenes where somebody eats a baby (which didn’t make it into this book); Jon and Beth and everyone at Wednesday afternoon tea, for listening to me whinge; my son Samson, for putting up with a mom he only saw over the top of a computer screen for most of his childhood, and who, for some reason, seems to like me anyway; and a special thanks to my late husband Jack, for letting me plot out loud (also known as “listening to me whinge”) and for providing much loving inspiration for the relationship between my naughty demons—I wish you were here to meet them.

I’m also grateful to Allison Pang, for being Vasily’s first fangirl, and for encouraging me to dig deeper; to my agent, Sara Megibow, for believing in Anazakia and the boys and putting them into the right hands; and to my editors, Liz Pelletier, for loving the book and believing in my voice (and for not changing that line that contains the word “gluttonously”), and Catherine Kean, who did the heavy lifting.

Lastly, I’d like to add a special thanks to Lynn Flewelling for inspiring me with her magical world and her inimitable rogues, and for bringing together the wonderful writers of Writing on the Waves—as well as to the writers on those waves with whom I’ve shared the voyage; to the Bling Babes of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers 2010 Colorado Gold, and the amazing writing community on Twitter with too many to name, who’ve provided unending support along the journey even as they embark upon their own; and to Kate Bush, whose album Aerial accompanied the all-important dreamtime of my writing.

Book trailer for The Fallen Queen

To celebrate the May 15 mass-market trade paperback release of The Fallen Queen, I'm excited to present my new book trailer!

There will be several giveaways on my upcoming book release blog tour, so stay tuned for the complete listing of blog dates...and don't forget to rate my video on YouTube if you have a moment. :)

More March Madness - Interview and giveaway

Today I'm over at Elise Rome's site as part of her March Madness Blog Party. There are prizes galore, so check out the March Madness rules first, then hop over to my author interview and answer the reader question for a chance to win an ebook copy of The Fallen Queen. There's also an extra treat for those who haven't read the book yet, of an Anazakia/Vasily excerpt for your reading pleasure. And here' a little snaphot of Anazakia and Vasily to go along with it:

New review and cover love

I have some exciting announcements to share about The House of Arkhangel'sk! First, I was thrilled to learn recently that Russian Life magazine reviewed The Fallen Queen in their March/April print issue, calling it:

...a tense, engaging fantasy thriller that is just a bit sassy or tongue in cheek and chock full of Russian flavor... A great read for a long winter weekend.

Even more thrilling for me, they mentioned the Russian language used in the book without expressing any dismay over my grammar. So, yay, Russian State Hydrometeorological University of St. Petersburg, some of your teaching stuck! ;)

Also, if you weren't aware, Books Two and Three of The House of Arkhangel'sk will be released in late summer 2012 and spring 2013 in mass-market format with Entangled Publishing's new distributor! I'm excited to announce that in advance of the August release of The Midnight Court, The Fallen Queen will be re-released on May 15 with a brand-new look. So, without further ado, here's a sneak peek of the new cover:

I think I'm in love with this cover. :)

DABWAHA (Gesundheit)

DA BWAHA \ DA-bwa-ha \ , noun; 1. Dear Author Bitchery Writing Award for Hellagood Authors.

DABWAHA is a tournament patterned after NCAA March Madness—but this one is a tournament of books, hosted by the awesome folks at Dear Author and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. I was surprised and honored to discover that The Fallen Queen was selected as a DABWAHA finalist in the Paranormal/Urban Fantasy/Science Fiction category.

TFQ is up against the following fabulous titles:

• Cat’s Tale: A Fairy Tale Retold by Bettie Sharpe
• The Darkest Surrender by Gena Showalter
• Fate’s Edge by Ilona Andrews
• Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook
• Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh
• Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison
• Radiant Desire by Inara Scott

Apparently, the next step is something called "brackets." I am totally out of my element here, so I'm afraid I can't really explain it, but from the DABWAHA website:

We’ll put out a slate of 64 picks.  8 categories and 8 books in each category.  In each category, the books are seeded 1-8.  The books then face off against one another with book 8 going up against book 1, book 7 going up against book 2, book 6 going up against book 3.  And so on and so forth.

The books compete against each other through the use of a poll and readers pick which book is going to win.

Before the books start competing against each other (I know, it sounds weird), readers fill out a bracket, picking who is going to win.

Bracket selection starts today and runs through midnight on March 13 (or 14th...this part isn't clear to me as the tournament form says 13th, but everything else says Wednesday), and voting begins on March 15. I'm not sure whether you have to fill out a bracket in order to vote, but I'm guessing you do, so hustle on over to the tournament page and make your selections:

http://www.mysideline.com/u/18566/custom/tournamententry.htm

What's in it for you? Well, in addition to the fun and madness, there are a ton of amazing prizes. And don't forget to vote for The Fallen Queen, up against Meljean Brook's Heart of Steel in Round 1 on March 15. (You know, the ides. Something bad will happen if you don't vote for TFQ on the ides.) ;)

Fun with firespirits - and a Fallen Queen giveaway

Today I'm blogging at Layers of Thought about creating angels. Stop by for a chance to win an ebook of The Fallen Queen.

Note: I found this interpretation of a seraph online. Mine are a bit less...benevolent. ;)

Hero Wars

Things are heating up on Twitter, with the heroes of Entangled Publishing duking it out next week using the hashtag #HeroWars. I've convinced Belphagor to play along, even though he isn't quite sure what's expected of him. Here's a sneak peak at his stats:

Name: Belphagor, an airspirit demon of Raqia in the Third Heaven

Build: Wiry but muscular

Height: 5’8”

Weight: 160lbs

Eye color: Ebony

Hair: Dark, short, spiked on top

Body art: Numerous Russian prison tats, including on hands and fingers; pierced eyebrow; pierced nipples

Strengths: Fiercely loyal; able to manipulate the element of air, including influencing the mind; as a BDSM top, he makes people feel cherished and protected with an almost paternal sensibility

Weaknesses: Has difficulty trusting others and keeps things to himself to his own detriment, resulting in getting himself into trouble he might otherwise have avoided

Leading Man: Vasily, a firespirit demon

Favorites: The game of wingcasting (a kind of celestial poker); cigars; spanking naughty “boys”; a good Russian tea

Occupation: Gambler and thief

Nickname: Prince of Tricks

Quote: "I can't imagine why you think I'd have sex with a girl."

Happy Birthday, Anazakia!

Today is the Grand Duchess Anazakia Helisonovna Arkhangel'skova's birthday. I'm not saying how old she is, because angels age differently and that's her business. But if The Fallen Queen were made into a movie, here's who I'd pick to play her:

In honor of Anazakia's birthday, check out my interview today on Supernatural Snark.

And get a present for yourself while you're at it:

Enter to win an ebook of The Fallen Queen at The Qwillery (contest ends tomorrow!)

Enter my giveaway along with dozens of others in the Mistletoe Blog Hop (grand prize is a Color Nook!)

Enter the December Will Be Magic Again giveaway at Here Be Magic (grand prize is a Kindle Fire!)

Enter to win a signed ARC of The Fallen Queen at Literary Escapism (and be sure to enter their other Black Friday giveaways!)

Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop!

Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop

I spent the evening hanging a ridiculous number of lights in my flat—including in the kitchen, the hallway, the bathroom, and a spiral of blue lights down the banister of the building's front stairs, with blue sparkling lights entwined in the iron security gate—while playing How the Grinch Stole Christmas on the DVD player. I'm a sucker for the season. So when I heard about the Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop, I couldn't resist. I especially love buying and wrapping presents.

Enter here for a chance to win the grand prize: a Nook Color loaded with ebooks from 33 authors, including a copy of my debut novel, The Fallen Queen.

My own giveaway includes a signed cover flat of The Fallen Queen, along with two of my favorite Russian things: a DVD of  Russian Ark, and the Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg (with companion book). Giveaway is open to international entrants.

Holiday Prize Pack

What's the best present you've ever received? Tell me in the comments to enter, and be sure to stop by each of the blogs below for chances to win more fabulous prizes. Contest and blog hop ends December 23.

The Language of Fallen Angels: Russian on the angelic tongue

Today I'm guest blogging at TalktoYoUniverse about how my little book about an angel turned into an obsession with all things Russian. In addition, there are still several chances to win a copy of The Fallen Queen:

The Book Pushers (giveaway ends today) The Book Faery Reviews (giveaway ends December 16) The Qwillery (giveaway ends December 21) Literary Escapism (giveaway ends December 31)

and a $25 gift certificate at Amazon or Barnes & Noble:

Here Be Magic (giveaway ends tonight at midnight, PST)

The Fallen Queen Virtual Book Tour

Goodreads Book Giveaway!

In addition to The Fallen Queen blog tour, five entrants will win a copy of The Fallen Queen in a Goodreads Book Giveaway!

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Fallen Queen

by Jane Kindred

Giveaway ends December 30, 2011.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Be sure to check the Where’s Jane? page for the latest blog tour dates and giveaway details.

More Belphagor, exposed

Today I'm interviewing Belphagor on Urban Girl Reader. Come see why I torture him. And don't forget, there are still several chances to win a copy of The Fallen Queen:

Fang-tastic Books (giveaway ends December 13) The Book Pushers (giveaway ends December 15) The Book Faery Reviews (giveaway ends December 16) Literary Escapism (giveaway ends December 31)

and a $25 gift certificate at Amazon or Barnes & Noble:

Here Be Magic (giveaway ends December 15)

The Fallen Queen Virtual Book Tour

Ever wonder what Heaven looks like?

Well, according to me, it looks like this:

Click map to enlarge

A black and white version appears in the book, but I thought readers might enjoy seeing the original on a single page.

If you've read The Fallen Queen, you'll notice there are many places on the map not visited in the book. You'll see much more of the Heavens in Book Two, The Midnight Court.

Copyright © 2011 by Jane Kindred

Naked Belphagor

My latest blog stop—and one more chance to win The Fallen Queen!—is my monthly stint as "the Difficult Goddess" on Romancing the Naked Hero. Today's naked hero is Belphagor. Want more chances to win? The following giveaways are still open!

Get Lost in a Story Urban Fantasy Investigations (giveaway ends December 12) RhiReading (giveaway ends December 12) Fang-tastic Books (giveaway ends December 13) Here Be Magic ($25 gift certificate giveaway, ends December 15) The Book Pushers (giveaway ends December 15) The Book Faery Reviews (giveaway ends December 16) Literary Escapism (giveaway ends December 31)

Dumbledore still likes me

I get to keep the Time-Turner for another day! Once again I'm in three places simultaneously. (What do you mean, where did I come from?? I've been here the whole time!) Stop by my interview at Rex Robot Reviews to find out what Anazakia thinks about clowns*, read about my obsession with Bell, Book and Candle at RhiReading in "Humming to Pyewacket"** (and win a copy of The Fallen Queen), and find yet more Bell, Book and Candle obsession at Here Be Magic, where you'll have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Want more chances to win? The following giveaways are still open!

Literary Escapism (contest ends December 31) Urban Fantasy Investigations (contest ends December 12) The Book Faery Reviews (contest ends December 16) Fang-tastic Books Get Lost in a Story The Book Pushers (contest ends December 15)

*When I was in Russia, sounding out everything I saw printed in Cyrillic (which I still do very slowly to this day), I saw the word "клоун" somewhere and stopped to read it aloud: "K-l-oh-oo-n. Kluh-oon. Klaoon. Clown!" and then screamed like Homer Simpson.

**Not dirty

I have a Time-Turner

Today I'm in three places at once. Luckily, Hermione lent me her Time-Turner. (Or maybe I am Hermione. ~shifty eyes~) Come join me at Fang-tastic Books to discuss the allure of the demon protagonist, get lost with me in my interview at Get Lost in a Story, and find out more about the Heaven of The Fallen Queen at The Book Pushers.

Five chances to comment to win!

I'm giving away a copy of The Fallen Queen at all three of my time-turning stops today. In addition, yesterday's contest is still open through December 16 at The Book Faery Reviews, where I discussed the trouble with angels, and I believe the giveaway at Urban Fantasy Investigations is also still open, where I ponder the age-old question of what happens when tasty, chocolatey epic fantasy trips and falls into yummy, peanut-buttery urban fantasy, creating a whole new taste sensation.

By the way, did you know you could get an actual Time-Turner?? I did not know this. (Disclaimer: It's possible that this Time-Turner doesn't actually turn time back...but it sure looks cool, and I want one! Now you know what to get me for Christmas.)

The Fallen Queen Virtual Book Tour

Look out for falling angels!

There were many times I thought this day would never come. (Frankly, I'm not quite sure it's here; I think I'm writing this in my sleep.) The trilogy I thought was a single book when the idea first germinated in my head in late 2005 (and continued to mistakenly believe until early 2009 when I finally decided it was time to get the thing written), and which dragged me all the way to Russia and turned me into a raging Russophile, was officially released today with The Fallen Queen, Book One of The House of Arkhangel'sk. My little angel Anazakia and her demon cohorts Belphagor and Vasily have finally fallen to the world of Man.

You can find out more about them and how they came to be (and what they put me through) on The Fallen Queen Blog Tour, continuing with my guest post, "The Trouble With Angels," on The Book Faery Reviews today.

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"Kindred’s tale is a romantic, mature, and lyrical collage of heaven, hell, and a magical royal legend. The combination is divinely—and demonically—inspired.”

—Alethea Kontis, New York Times bestselling author of Enchanted

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“A labyrinth of wonder, intrigue and treachery. High fantasy as sharp as a dagger.”

—Mario Acevedo, author of Werewolf Smackdown

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“Jane Kindred’s The Fallen Queen dazzles with its surreal blending of worlds. Lost angel Anazakia, last survivor of her murdered family, finds herself in the hands of demons with suspect motives, betrayed by her own kind, stranded in the world of Man—21st century St. Petersburg, Russia, to be exact. Weaving startling visuals with compelling characters, Kindred reveals parallels in the two worlds that are ‘neither haphazard chance nor calculated design.’ It’s a dizzying, vibrant read.”

—Lynn Flewelling, author of The Bone Doll’s Twin and the Nightrunner series

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“Angels, demons, sex. Heaven, hell, war. Blood and royalty, history and magic, fire and ice. And a story you cannot put down. This is fantasy at its best.”

—Stephen Graham Jones, author of It Came From Del Rio

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Heaven can go to hell.

Until her cousin slaughtered the supernal family, Anazakia’s father ruled the Heavens, governing noble Host and Fallen peasants alike. Now Anazakia is the last grand duchess of the House of Arkhangel’sk, and all she wants is to stay alive.

Hunted by Seraph assassins, Anazakia flees Heaven with two Fallen thieves—fire demon Vasily and air demon Belphagor, each with their own nefarious agenda—who hide her in the world of Man. The line between vice and virtue soon blurs, and when Belphagor is imprisoned, the unexpected passion of Vasily warms her through the Russian winter.

Heaven seems a distant dream, but when Anazakia learns the truth behind the celestial coup, she will have to return to fight for the throne—even if it means saving the man who murdered everyone she loved.

Read an excerpt from The Fallen Queen

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Available now from Entangled Publishing!

The Fallen Queen is available now:

Early release for The Fallen Queen!

The Fallen Queen is available now in print, Kindle, and Nook versions!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble print

Nook

The Book Depository (free shipping worldwide!)

The Fallen Queen blog tour

In celebration of my December 6 release, between now and Anazakia's birthday on the Winter Solstice, I'll be dashing all over the Web talking about The House of Arkhangel'sk trilogy. There are several giveaways planned, along with a few interviews (including a rare character interview of Belphagor), so mark your calendars for a chance to comment and win or just to find out more about the The Fallen Queen. Check  Where's Jane? for the latest blog tour updates and other scheduled appearances.