Rachel Vincent

Okay, I'm getting complaints.

First of all, I'm sorry for all the trouble some people are having accessing My Soul to Lose. I've just spent a frustrating half-hour trying to access it myself. But now I have some pointers. ;-)

If you're downloading it from eHarlequin, you will get a prompt asking you to download Adobe Digital Editions. I'm sorry if you dislike this format. It wasn't my choice, and there are two other formats available, if you'd rather use those. But if you're using the PDF, as I did, you have to download ADE.

After you've downloaded and launched ADE (make sure you actually click the button that says "launch"), you have to sign into Adobe to "activate" the program. To do this, you must have an Adobe ID. This is not the email address and password you signed up with at Harlequin. As I thought at first. You must actually go to Adobe and create an account there first.

Yes, this is a total pain. I'm very, very sorry, but none of this was my choice/decision/preference. Fortunately, it's pretty easy, if long and involved. Sign up for your account, then type your email and password in to "activate" the program.

If you've already downloaded the ebook, it should show up in the reader once it loads. This may take a couple of minutes. If it doesn't (and it didn't for me), close the program and go open the ebook from wherever you saved the file. This is what I did, and it worked.

If you haven't already downloaded the ebook, you must, obviously, do this first.

Again, I'm very sorry for how complicated this process has become. But I hope you enjoy the story. I worked very, very hard on it, and and am thrilled that Harlequin Teen is giving it away at no cost, as an introduction to Kaylee and her world.

Okay, it looks like we have everything sorted out with My Soul to Lose, the ebook prequel to my Soul Screamers series, and I am thrilled to report that IT IS FREE!

Prey is officially on sale everywhere (in the U.S. and Canada) today, so if you haven't already found a copy, you should be able to now. And because I'm so excited about this particular release, I'm hosting two different giveaways (of more than just Prey.)

Now, I'm off to celebrate, but I'll be allowing comments throughout the day via phone. ;-)

Happy Birthday, Prey!

As you may or may not know, Vicki Petterson and I are release buddies, for, I believe, the first time ever! Today, City of Souls officially hits the shelf, and tomorrow is the official release date for Prey! And to celebrate, I'm giving them both away here!

Prey will officially be out in two short days, but it's already available just about everywhere, and to my delight and complete astonishment the reviews so far have been overwhelmingly positive.

As an author, I don't expect everyone to like all of my books. That would be unreasonable. (Okay, maybe in the beginning, I harbored such delusions, but I outgrew them quickly.) Liviana did not like the first two books in my Shifters series, and if memory serves, Pride left her on the fence. So imagine how surprised and thrilled I was to see this.

Excerpts from the review:

I love it when I stick to a series and it pays off. With Rachel Vincent's Werecat books, the first two just didn't work for me, but were so close to working that I couldn't resist continuing. I mentioned in my review of Pride that I felt it was a running leap in the right direction, which makes Prey the right direction.

[...]

Like Faythe, the Werecats series has grown up. I loved seeing the potential reached, with brutal fight scenes interspersed with drama. (I think even if I weren't a total softie Vincent would have made me cry with this one.) I cannot wait for the fifth book to come out. On that hand, I am happy with the quick release between Pride and this one. I like that publishers are experimenting with schedules if the author already has the next book completed. To me, it helps the story keep momentum. Of course, Prey is fast-paced enough not to need much help with that.

I love this review, because it tells me that I am growing as writer, and that is one of my biggest life-goals. I don't ask for perfection from myself. (Okay, sometimes I'm delusional about that possibility too.) But I do ask for improvement. Progression. And it feels so good to think I'm actually achieving it. ;-)

Now for the giveaway round up, new stuff first...

There are two new interview/giveaways today:

• Amberkatze's is here.
• And Fangtastic Books is having one here.

Also, here's where else you can win a signed copy of Prey:

• Cinnamon Brown is doing an interview with both me and Faythe, and has thrown in a truly spectacular giveaway here. And I'm answering questions there as well.
• There's a giveaway and an interview with Jackie here.
• Jessica is hosting a giveaway here.
• And my Kindle giveaway at Bitten By Books is still going on, of course. I've been answering questions there all week.

And... The awesome Melissa Marr is giving away 6 autographed ARCs of MY SOUL TO TAKE and 3 un-signed copies of the LJ Smith 2 books in one omnibus (containing The Awakening & the Struggle). Click here to enter. I think you have to register and number your entry, but it's open to everyone.

Now for today's mini-excerpt:

Warning! Spoiler ahead! Read at your own risk!!

“Faythe, I need a… um…” Manx paused and closed her eyes, probably searching for the right word in English. “A favor.” She met my eyes again, and depth of her gaze alone emphasized the importance of whatever she was about to say.

“Yes?” I held my breath and could hear both our hearts beating. No, all three of our hearts.

“If I die, will you take Desiderio home? To your mother? I have not asked her, but I think she will take him.”

For a moment I was so horrified by the necessity of such a question that I couldn’t answer. I’d known arrangements would have to be made for Des, just in case. But Manx making those arrangements herself, less than twelve hours before the start of her trial?

I could barely even conceive of that kind of courage.

Okay, I have a bit of a link roundup to show off today.

First the new stuff:

The awesome Melissa Marr is giving away 6 autographed ARCs of MY SOUL TO TAKE and 3 un-signed copies of the LJ Smith 2 books in one omnibus (containing The Awakening & the Struggle). Click here to enter. I think you have to register and number your entry, but it's open to everyone.

And...The SciFiGuy has posted an awesome review of Prey. Here's a little bit of it:

Faythe has many sides – the lover, the enforcer/warrior, the mentor, the sister and the planner and strategist. She is becoming increasing complex, maturing and growing in scope with each book and is evolving into one of strongest and most engaging urban fantasy characters in the genre today. The werecat society is fully realized and fascinating as always. Its harsh rules and codes of behaviour are cleverly reflected in character motivations and actions.

No one emerges unscathed or unchanged from the events that unfold in Prey. Political sides are drawn and the Pride is left poised on the brink of war. Faythe more than ever is stepping into her role as her father’s future successor to lead the Pride. Shift coming in March 2010 promises to be once heck of a story. If you haven’t read the series, I highly recommend you grab the first three books as well and dig in. You won’t be disappointed.

The rest of the review is here, but it does contain a minor spoiler, so read at your own risk. ;-)

Also, here's where you can win a copy of Prey:

• Cinnamon Brown is doing an interview with both me and Faythe, and has thrown in a truly spectacular giveaway here.
• There's a giveaway and an interview with Jackie here.
• Jessica is hosting a giveaway here.
• And my Kindle giveaway at Bitten By Books is still going on, of course. I've been answering questions there all week.

[Scroll down for a comparison of U.S. and UK covers...]

Oops! I forgot to announce the winner of Faythe's neckace and a signed copy of Prey. But the random number generator has spoken, and the winner is:

Kara Hillman, who wrote:
"stray was actually my first dive into paranormal reading. i picked it up and fell in love. i haven't been able to put them down since. "

Kara, please email me (rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom) with your mailing address, and I'll put your prizes in the mail!

And thanks to Liz for the reminder. ;-)

Last week I mentioned that Rogue and Pride will be out in the UK in August, but I didn't have images to show off. I do now! So I'm taking a short break in the Prey promo parade to do a cover comparison. (Though there are links at the end of this post, which will take you to several places on the Prey virtual tour.)

(The US images are slightly bigger here, but not on the actual covers.)

Okay, on the left is the U.S. version, and on the right is the UK one. The art is the same, but they've used a different font for the text, and they've used the Kelley Armstrong quote instead of the Gena Showalter one. Very subtle differences, and I haven't seen the back cover yet, so I don't know if the blurb changed or not, but I suspect it did. They wrote a new one for Stray, when it came out in the UK.

And here's Pride. On the left is the U.S. version, and on the right is the UK version. Again, the cover art itself is the same, but they've changed the fonts and exchanged the Gena Showalter quote for the one from Kim Harrison. And this time they've added a tagline, which I love! Though it makes the scratch marks a little harder to see on her stomach.

Thoughts?

Before you ask, I honestly don't know the reasoning behind the changes. They're very minor, but I do like them. They give the UK version a slightly different feel. Let's hope it sells books! ;-)

Where you can find Prey today:

• There's a giveaway and an interview with Jackie here.
• I wrote a guest blog for Jessica here, where I discussed my decision to make Marc a stray, rather than a natural-born Pride cat. And I believe she's doing a review and a giveaway later today.
• And my Kindle giveaway at Bitten By Books is still going on, of course. I'll be in there later today to answer more questions.
• And Cinnamon Brown is doing an interview with both me and Faythe, and has thrown in a truly spectacular giveaway here.

Less than a week to go, and here's where you can find Prey being given away today:

• There's a giveaway and an interview with Jackie here.
• I have a guest blog going up very soon here, where Jessica will also be giving away a copy of Prey, I believe.
• And my Kindle giveaway at Bitten By Books is still going on, of course.

I've closed last week's blog contest (Faythe's necklace and a signed copy of Prey) and will be posting the winner's name tomorrow, so check back to see if you won!

Also, if you like the cover for My Soul to Take, go vote for it here! It's a Clash of the Covers!

And finally, today's mini-excerpt from Prey:

SPOILER WARNING!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!


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We burst through the backdoor almost as one. At my first glimpse of Jace—a deep shadow in the pre-dawn darkness—my feet froze on the porch, and my breathing quickened with shock. Owen ran right into me. He would have knocked me down all four steps if my dad hadn’t caught me.

My father paused only long enough to right me, then raced across the backyard with the speed of a much younger man.

Jace was halfway between the tree line and the back door, jogging unsteadily, his arms held awkwardly in front of his chest. When he stepped into the light from the guesthouse porch, I saw that he carried Kaci in both arms. Her head bobbed limply near his right shoulder, her hair brushing his hip with each step. Her legs dangled from his other arm, one foot bare. Blood dripped steadily from either his right arm or her head, staining the dead grass with a trail of fat, red drops.

Want more? Prey is shipping from most places and will be available in book stores all over the U.S. and Canada on July 1. It's available right now in most Borders stores. ;-)

Today's your last day to enter to win Faythe's necklace and a signed copy of Prey. For details, click here.

Also, my Q&A/Kindle giveaway is still going on here at Bitten By Books.

And... here's today's mini-excerpt from near the middle of Prey:

Minor SPOILER WARNING!!




“You ready to place nice?” I stood my ground well within Yarnell’s personal space, and for a moment, I thought he’d clam up again—thought he’d actually rather die than tell me what I wanted to know. But then he spoke, eyes flashing in fury, face tensed against pain. His every movement spoke of injury, and I’d never in my life faced anyone who truly hated me until that moment.

Don’t get me wrong. I piss a lot of people off. But beneath the anger, everyone else I’d ever met had wanted me for something. Even Andrew. Beneath the murderous fury I’d witnessed in the last moments of his life, there was a heart-breaking familiarity in his eyes, a sense of my betrayal which had fractured some crucial part of his humanity. Part of him—most of him probably—had wanted me dead. But there was still that small kernel of hope deep inside him, hopelessly smothered by devastating rage, that wanted me to save him. To take it all back and give him peace.

I saw none of that in Peter Yarnell.

Curious? Find out who Pete Yarnell is and what Faythe wants from him in Prey, available July 1, 2009.

Okay, there are nine days until the official release date for Prey (though you can probably find it in your local bookstore some time later this week), and while I panic and fumble my way through fears, doubts, and a promotional blitz, I have something better for you to do. Today is the start of my virtual release party at Bitten By Books, where I'm giving away one grand prize, and ten consolation prizes.

Click here to RSVP (and receive 50 extra entries) for my virtual release party at Bitten By Books. Party starts tomorrow...!



And to whet your appetites (or just to tease you mercilessly), here's the first mini-excerpt, from a fight scene in the first third of Prey:

Minor SPOILER! Proceed at your own risk...






On my left, Ethan dropped to one knee, swinging his hatchet up. The blade caught a stray beneath his jaw, and almost cleaved the cat’s head from his neck. The body hit the ground with a nauseating two-part thud—first the torso, then the nearly-detached skull—and Ethan was in motion again. I would have been impressed, if I’d had time to think about it.

But I didn’t, because Vic screamed on my brother’s other side, near the end of the car. Then he stumbled into view and fell to the gravel on his rump. The cat he’d been fighting pounced, driving his shoulders to the ground.

“Ethan!” I shouted in mid-swing, because my brother was closest. He glanced at me, then followed my gaze to Vic.

“I’m on it.” He lunged to the left, swinging the ax up even as he dove for Vic’s shovel. His blow glanced off the nearest cat, but he came up with a weapon in each hand. Swinging wildly now, Ethan knocked the cat off Vic with the shovel, then threw the ax end over end so fast I could hardly trace it. The blade thunked into the side of another cat, who dropped to the ground, chest heaving and pouring blood.

Want more? Head to your local book store on July 1, and if you can't find Prey on your own, ask a clerk. Sometimes my books are shelved in romance, sometimes in fantasy, sometimes in general fiction.

And... check back here soon for more mini-excerpts!

For those of you who have askd about a UK release of Rogue and Pride (Stray is already available across the pond), I have good news! It looks like they'll both be out in the UK on August 21. ;-)

I was a bit stunned when I looked at the calendar today. Prey comes out in two weeks. It'll probably be on the shelves in some places in one week or less. I haven't seen many reviews for it yet, but the ones I have seen have all been favorable so far. But I have to admit, this kind of feels like the calm before the storm.

First, the business: Wow, the thus-far-complete signed set of Shifters books got the biggest turnout I've ever had in a contest, by a good 50 entries. We wound up with 333 qualifying comments, and I truly can't believe the response. You guys give me hope, and you make me smile. ;-)

And, the random number generator has spoken! The winner is: tetewa, whose comment began,
"I'm always looking for new authors and series to read..."

Tetewa, please email me (rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom) with your name and address, and I'll put your books in the mail.

Everyone else, thanks so much for entering, and please check back soon for the next contest!

Now, the craft:

Writing the Shifters books is getting harder, and I think that’s a good thing, because it means I’m pushing myself and my characters to the limits of what we can do/take. And that’s exciting. And hopefully it has a big emotional payoff in the end.

But if you saw my Tweets last night, you saw how frustrating that process can be, when you’re just not getting it right.

That’s right. I wasn’t getting it right. Shift is the eleventh full length novel I’ve written, so you might think I’d have this down cold by now. But you’d be wrong. You see, every book is its own beast. Some more beastly than others.

So what was the problem?

On Tuesday, my CP made one of those suggestions that can change a book. (Fortunately, in this case it only changed the last quarter of the book, because that trickle-down process can be a real pain.) This particular idea was one we’d discussed months ago, when I was plotting the book. I even wrote it into the synopsis. But in the end, it didn’t happen, because I couldn’t figure out exactly how and when to do it.

Rinda figured out the when for me, and I knew instantly that she was right. She’d found the perfect place in the story for this particular emotional bombshell. But even with her awesome suggestions and prompts, I had to figure out the how on my own, and that involved quite a lot of in-depth work with Marc.

Back when I was writing Stray, there was a point at which the novel completely stalled out: that scene when he and Faythe are fighting in her room. I couldn’t write that scene, because I didn’t really know Marc—didn’t know where he was coming from—so I couldn’t peg his reactions. His motivations.

So Marc and I had a chat. No, not literally. I’m not one of those writers who wanders around in a daze talking to her characters in public. Or in private. Instead, I opened a new document and wrote Marc’s back story. The only think I knew at that point was that he had nowhere else to go. Faythe and the south-central Pride were his entire world, and he’d do anything to keep and protect them both. So I wrote the history he’d need to have to get to that point in his life.

Last night I felt like I was getting to know Marc all over again. It took me all day long, and two complete re-drafts of a couple of pivotal chapters, to get it right. To make sure that his part of this book is authentic (true to character) and emotionally wrenching—for both him and Faythe—without stalling out the story.

I think I did it. If not, I got awfully close, and hopefully a little distance between now and the time my edit letter arrives with give me that last, crucial bit of perspective.

So, all that’s left for Shift (for this go-‘round) is fixing a few typos Rinda caught. Then I will turn the manuscript in. Today. And none too soon, because stuff has piled up behind this book in the queue. I have a short story with a very tight deadline, half-a dozen interviews to complete, and Rinda’s entire book to critique.

Better get hoppin’…