I always understood Christmas in July as a southern hemisphere excuse to eat all the yummy winter feast foods in the appropriate season. But then I saw that Christmas in July is celebrated in the northern hemisphere, too! So I’m a bit puzzled as to why – anyone know? – but I totally approve of the food ideas, like chocolate icebox pie from Southern Living. And some of the other ideas (I’ve been looking at Martha Stewart) are really good for an Aussie Christmas at…well, at Christmas time! and we don’t need to panic about that yet, we have six months before Santa falls down chimneys!

About this newsletter: there are a couple of promo/book advertisements, and then, to lure you to read on, an excerpt from Desert Devil, which is out August 10. I was hoping to add some winter photos of the bushland with its winter flowers or the beach, but I’ve been taking rather dull walks around my neighbourhood instead – and trying to stay out of the blustery winds!

Christmas in July Book Fair & Giveaway

 

Enjoy some free & 99c books this Christmas in July

A 99c Deal

Patty Jansen runs a lot of cross-promotional activities for authors, and I’m sure we often give her headaches, so now that she’s having a sale on one of her books, I’m happy to share it here.

Sand & Storm by Patty Jansen is currently 99c.

The entire world laid to waste. There are no second chances.

The ancient machine that produced icefire was destroyed twenty years ago, but the deadly magic is again on the increase. No one understands why or where it’s coming from.

Massive changes in weather patterns plunge the northern half of the inhabited world in deep drought. People are once again fleeing, but nowhere is safe.

King Isandor sends people to investigate a concentration of icefire in the mountains at the border, but two consecutive patrols both vanish. It appears that, after having suffered badly in wars, the neighbouring country Arania is on the offensive, and is using icefire as weapon. Their culture is harsh and their barbarism knows no boundaries.

Meanwhile two young meteorology students make a string of discoveries that will change the way the people understand the world. They’re on the threshold of the age of enlightenment, but vital knowledge necessary to save their world may well get lost when war overruns the inhabited world.

Desert Devil Excerpt

Someone hammered at her motel room door.

Her heart thumped against her ribs. She ought to be safe here, anonymous, but perhaps she should have pushed on to Phoenix. If she hadn’t gotten absurdly lost, taking the wrong country road because she’d been distracted by her mental replay of how badly her reunion with Rest had gone, she could have been halfway to Phoenix.

The hammering redoubled. “Donna!”

Rest.

She’d have queried how he found her, except that the motel was the obvious place for a traveller to stop. The real question was why he’d bothered to come after her.

One glimpse of his face and the grim aura surrounding him told her something bad had gone down. “Just a second.” She hastily closed the door long enough to undo the old-fashioned chain, then invited him in. “What’s happened?”

“I was attacked by a fire demon.”

She grabbed his shirt. “Already?” Her stomach knotted. If she’d delayed even a couple of hours in warning him, she’d have been too late. He’d be dead.

Desert Devil is out August 10, and available for pre-order at 99c: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073T8KJ3Q

An Apology!

A few days ago I was experimenting with embedding a poll in a post. Unfortunately, I was unaware that it would send you all the link, not to my website where the poll might have made sense, but to the poll-creation software site. I’m so sorry! It must have been a frustrating email for you to receive – and I apologise. I do try to keep my tech-fumbling away from you 🙂

This was the poll: https://authorjennyschwartz.com/2017/07/20/which-fairy-reader-are-you/