THE DARK DIVINE 10th Anniversary--And a Free Short Story to Celebrate!!

Hey all!

I know I haven't posted in like FOREVER but I am dusting off the old blog because today is a very special day. It's the ten year anniversary of the debut of my first novel, THE DARK DIVINE. How has it been ten years already???

Many books only have a shelf life a of a few months, so the fact that I can occasionally walk into a bookstore and still find TDD on a shelf, or the fact that it can still be purchased online ten years later feels like a freaking miracle. And I owe that all to you, dear readers. So thank you for loving this first story of mine and giving it so much support over the years.

With TDD turning ten, I thought maybe you might want to know what some of the characters are up to these days. To celebrate, I am posting a spin-off short story I wrote a few years ago. "How to Babysit a Werewolf (And Other Perilous Deeds I don't Recommend)" stars Grace's little brother, James, who is nearly sixteen now and trying in vain to cope with having a sister who is a super hero. The story features cameos by a couple of your favorite characters from THE DARK DIVINE.

I wrote this short story back in 2014 for a small anthology called HEROIC: TALES OF THE EXTRAORDINARY. It was a limited release anthology so I figured most of you haven't had the chance to read this story, and now the rights have reverted back to me, I am posting here for free for all of you to enjoy.

You can read the story on my website HERE.

(Please note, I couldn't find the copy-edited version of the story so please forgive my grammatical errors.)

Writing a grown up Baby James was a lot of fun, and I've even been toying with the idea of expanding this story into a full length novel--so tell me what you think.

Oh, and in case you're wondering what I'm up to these days, I am currently getting my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. I also obsessively bake french macarons, and I'm still writing, of course. I just finished a first draft that is basically a rom-com about an axe murdering cheerleader. (Yes, you read that right.) Hopefully, you'll be able to read that book someday!

Okay, I'm off to make some Baby Yoda macarons. Enjoy the story and be sure to say hello in the comments.

My 2016 Salt Lake Comic Con Schedule

It's that time of year again: SALT LAKE COMIC CON time!! This is one of my absolute favorite cons of the year. I am especially excited to try to get into the Mark Hamill panel on Thursday. Star Wars nerd FOREVER, baby!

In case you're headed to the con and want to say hello, my schedule is below:

Winner of THE IMMORTAL THRONE Cover Reveal and ARC GIVEAWAY!!!

Contest is now closed and we have a winner!

Catie Skola... come on down!

Da da da  duda da daduda da (insert price is right music).

Congratulations, Catie.  Please claim your prize within 30 days by emailing me at readbree@gmail.com with your shipping address.

And because it is so pretty, here's another look at the cover for THE IMMORTAL THRONE, (available for pre-order now wherever books are sold ;D)

THE IMMORTAL THRONE Cover Reveal and ARC GIVEAWAY!!!

Hurray! THE IMMORTAL THRONE officially has a release date--as in OCTOBER 1, 2016--and it officially has a cover! Woohoo!! And the wonderful folks at Carolrhoda Lab have an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) to give away to one lucky winner. (As in, you'd get to read the book waaaayyy before it's officially published--on October 1st. Did I mention October 1st???)

So do you want to see the cover?

Huh?

Huh?

Drum roll please

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I absolutely love the background with the trees and the colors, and I especially love the tagline, "Fate is no match for true love." It totally says, "epic throw down coming your way, yo" don't you think? (But I might be a little biased. Heheh.)

Now it's giveaway time! Enter to win you very own Advanced Reader Copy of THE IMMORTAL THRONE by using the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the post. Winner will be announced on April 29, 2016. (Winner must claim prize within 30 days or it will be forfeit.)

If you would like to pre-order THE IMMORTAL THRONE you can find it on Amazon HERE, at Barnes & Noble HERE, from Indie Bound HERE, or from my favorite local indie The King's English Bookshop HERE. (Remember, pre-orders are absolute gold to authors! XOXO.)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

A new DARK DIVINE story, my Salt Lake Comic Con schedule, and my whole new Avenue

Hey peeps! Salt Lake Comic Con starts tomorrow, so I thought I'd let you know where you can find me.

Bree Despain Schedule:

Thursday September 24, 2015

3:00 p.m. The Legacy of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, Room 250A

4:00 p.m. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Icon and Heroine for the Ages, Room 151G

5:00-6:00 p.m. Bree Despain Book Signing, Shadow Mountain - Booth 1401

Saturday September 26, 2015

10:00 a.m. On Faith and Firefly: Belief and Doubt Aboard Serenity, Room 150G

1:00 p.m. The Winchester Brothers: We Need to Talk About Supernatural, Room 151G

2:00 p.m. Welcome to Mystic Falls: Vampire Diaries and The Originals Room 151G

5:00-6:00 p.m. Bree Despain Book Signing, Shadow Mountain - Booth 1401

New Dark Divine Story:

Speaking of Salt Lake Comic Con . . . The organizers of SLCC have put together a charity anthology called HEROIC: TALES OF THE EXTRAORDINARY. (All proceeds benefit the Aaron Allston Foundation--a group dedicated to helping struggling writers and artists get the medical help they may not be able to afford.) SLCC asked me to contribute an original story to the anthology, and since I get so many requests for more information about what happens to Daniel and Grace after THE SAVAGE GRACE, I decided to write a DARK DIVINE spinoff story for the anthology. The story is called "How to Babysit a Werewolf. (And Other Perilous Deeds I Don't Recommend.)"

If you've been wondering what happened to Grace and Daniel, this story will give you a fun little glimpse into their future lives. Right now, the anthology is only available for attendees of SLCC, but I am told it will be made into an ebook that will be sold to the general public soon. If you're going to SLCC and want to preorder your copy now, go HERE. Otherwise, stay tuned for more info on when the ebook will be available.

I would love, love, love to turn this short story into a full blown novel someday, so if you enjoy the story, let me know. I may be able to make that request for a fourth Dark Divine novel happen someday. ;)

My New Avenue

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have noticed that I've been up to something that has nothing to do with writing. And now I am announcing my new adventure--or new "avenue." I've been a very busy bee lately--not only did I spend the summer finishing the manuscript for Into the Dark 3, I also spent it getting my new business ready to launch.

My sister and I are so excited to introduce you to our Instagram Boutique, Avenue Be. Our focus is on women's clothing and accessories--and we hope to add children's clothing in the future.

More about Us: At Avenue Be, we understand that everyone has different aspects to their personality and style. One day you may want to be edgy, while the next day you may want to be girly. Or flirty. Or classic. Or preppy. Or romantic. (Or even a combination of styles.) Whatever you're in the mood for, you've found the right avenue for high quality clothing and accessories at fabulous prices that help you be you. 

Please help us get started by following us on Instagram @shopavenuebe! Please like and share our posts when you can. Tag friends or Family! Our main focus is on our Instagram store, where we will post new items every weekday, and offer special pricing, however, you can also visit our website at www.shopavenuebe.com. And because you visit my blog, you get a special coupon code for 10% off your first purchase. Use coupon code: breefriend10 (Expires October 15th, 2015.)

I so appreciate you visiting our instagram store and any shout-outs you may be able to give us to your friends. We can't make it without word of mouth! XOXOXO! (Our hope is to get big enough to add children's, plus size, and fitness wear in the future.)

It has been so nice to have something to focus on that has nothing to do with the ups and downs of publishing--especially after the year I've had. But don't worry, I am not retiring from writing. I'm well into two different manuscripts that I am very excited about.