The new Princeps Venator book, Blood Magic, is now available.
Blood Magic
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News, views, Thaumatology, and Aneka Jansen
Witches and Ray-Guns 
This is perfect timing for me, I stubbed my toe into a break so I am laid up at home without anything to read
Ouch.
According to the doctor it was literally the smallest break possible so it isn’t that bad, I’m just bored at home since I can’t walk anywhere
Does amazon usually take this long or was I just early seeing the announcement
You were pretty quick, but they seem to be going a little slower than usual today. Amazon are very variable. It’s taken most of a day for them to do their stuff, but they’ve also got the book out in a couple of hours. Today seems slower; I’d have expected to have an ASIN by now that I could pass on, and I don’t have one yet.
Two things:
1. If you are reading this and have already downloaded from Smashwords, you may wish to download a new copy, especially if you use the EPUB version. There was an issue with conversion which may affect the working of the table of contents.
2. Amazon are being really slow with this one. Sorry. I still don’t even have an ASIN assigned, so it’s going to be a while before the book goes on sale.
As of 9:48PM, US Central Time, still not available on Amazon
Unfortunately, Amazon says it can take up to 72 hours. It never has, but there’s a first time for everything.
And I can’t sleep, which is why I’m answering you at 4 a.m.
Lots of titles with Blood Magic up on Amazon but not yours yet Niall.
This is turning into the longest I have ever waited once the author has sent it to Amazon. 2:35AM US Central and still no book. At least I will be able to re-read PV 1 and 2 before I get my hands on PV3.
Gave in and got it off Smashwords, and Im getting an odd issue that appears to be entirely with my Kindle Fire HD and just not sure if there may be some kind of formatting issue with the mobi version. I cant view the book with white text on a black background, I just get black text on black background. It works fine on Kindle desktop app or my old Kindle Fire first gen. I actually dug the thing out of a drawer and plugged it in just to check then tossed it back again.
That’s… weird. I don’t have a Kindle Fire to try that out on. Have a word with Amazon?
There’s still no ASIN for the book on KDP, so they’re still processing it. No idea why it’s taking so long this time.
I looked in the mobi source html, and it looks like all text is declared with a black (#000) color. The epub also has some explicit text colors in the css. Maybe those should be removed?
By the way, the font is also inconsistent. Most paragraphs are declared as “Times New Roman”, while a few (I believe always the first paragraph of a chapter or ~~~ section) use the default font of the ebook reader. I chose a sans-serif font as my default in the calibre viewer, that clashes with the serif Times.
I’ll take a look at that.
I do the mobi conversion myself for Amazon, but Smashwords do their own.
As an aside to the thread, I bought from Smashwords and I’m having no issues with fonts or font color reading in the Kindle app in my iPhone. Second, I don’t know what Smashwords uses to auo generate their ebooks, but I have had problems with some of their epub files before with borked formatting. I do know that Amazon did weird things with their files format in order to support enhanced ebooks to compete with Apple so I wouldn’t be surprised at a newer kindle device having issues where an older one did not if Smashwords is not up to snuff. Good luck figuring it out!
5AM US Central Time, book still not available. Will check later tonite
Another very enjoyable book sir. Thank you! Also, thank you for not leaving us hanging on that one thing you mentioned at about the three quarter pole and then finished up with at the very end. I thought you were going to leave things hanging a bit like you did at the end of Liberty to set up the next book.
Also also for those keeping score at home, almost 10am EDT here in the States and Amazon US still hasn’t listed the book.
Thank you.
And for those keeping count, still no ASIN assigned.
I worked out that I can’t ask what’s going on until Saturday morning! But I really wish I knew what was going on.
I’ve noticed that every author has a cursed release in regards to amazon. Looking forward to when I can get my hands on it 🙂
Amazon has always favored quantity over quality. I shake my head that they pay someone to write the coding that sends a breathless announcement that an author I follow has a new release. Yeah, no shit as Chevy Chase once said, I bought it three months ago.
agreed!!! Very annoying getting email from ‘zon saying: New books!!, then I check the email and I’ve got them already and have for months
Think how I feel when it says ‘See these new books!’ and when I look, it’s one I wrote and published the month before. I mean, it’s nice to see them promoting my stuff, but you’d think they could avoid suggesting my books to me.
23:31 UK time, and finally it’s moved to ‘publishing.’
The ASIN is above and I’ll add the usual links when I get them.
not sure how the ASIN is supposed to work, but I am not getting anything on facebook when I search for it (like: ASIN: B07R75472Q)
An ASIN is an identification number assigned by Amazon. You can search on Amazon for that number and, if it’s available, it should show up. I don’t think it’s actually available, but it’s getting closer.
Thanks I used the ASIN and it came up on Amazon Australia
NOw 5:44PM US Central, still not available on Amazon. By my math, that means that it has now been over 24 hours since you said it had been submitted to Amzn. Wow!!!
Rather more like 36 hours and counting.
Wow!!! -(in a bad way)
Looks like Amazon is heading for 72 hours….drat!!! Still Nothing.
It’s up on Amazon Australia
Now 11:55PM, US Central, still nothing
Now available on Amazon.uk using the ASIN
Finally up on Amazon UK. B07R75472Q
Also on US Amazon.
I got the message saying it was available just before 5am BST, so that was about 45 hours, and I hope that’s the worst they ever manage. 😦
Still, it’s available everywhere and I’ve added the usual links above.
Got it around 1AM US Central Time – read and loved it, gave it 5 stars!!! -only problem was it left me wanting more!!!
Well, I’m working on it…
Same for me Mark, I got it and read it right away now I want more too. Gave it a five star review.
Hmm. Seems like the super-magic field is approximately at pre-Shattering levels in Dione’s world.
So who’s that on the cover? All I can tell is they’re female. I suppose we should assume it’s Di, but that’s no fun, so I’m going to guess it must be Ramona Rose. She likes that trick 😜
Well, if you’re speculating, I won’t give you the definitive answer. 🙂
Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be, is it. Fine. So looking again I saw the white shoes and thought “Di wouldn’t be wearing those…” but then realized it was a reflection. So we can see a hand holding something but can’t really see a sword, so it must be… A GAME CONTROLLER! IT’S MARY!
Well, the issue I have with that theory is that I can’t see Mary in heels. Looking closely, I’m pretty sure that it’s a katana in hand, so Di. Also pretty sure the pic is meant to represent something from Di’s dream in the book.
For me it looks very much like a coffee mug. Wait! Wasn’t there one recently at a totally wrong place?
Yeah I really can’t imagine it being anyone but Di. Just having some fun poking at Niall. And your point about the dream is a good one.
Glad to see this new story from Niall , and this series, think niall is a bit psychic as I was going to ask about this series, and any more books, and then , there it was …
Hey Niall:
Just a thought, but since Nighthawk is in doldrums, perhaps you could adjust it so it is a Venator case file?
I can safely say that Nighthawk is not something I can change into a vampire story of any sort.
I have made some progress on it. It may yet see the light of day.
Any chance any other of your books will be made into audiobooks? I just listened to Steel Beneath the Skin, but I don’t see any of your other books on Audible.
Maybe. Sometime. But don’t hold your breath. I enjoyed the process and I like the result, but it’s expensive and it has to sell really well to pay back the outlay. Currently, it’s just not economic for me to do it.
I have an idea for one of your books in the doldrums: Midsummer Nightmare. Why don’t you start a new series in that universe called The Apprentice Sorceress, where you tell about the adventures of the child introduced in Vengeance after about 14 or 15 years have passed.
I think I already have that one planned (for a given value of planned), except that it’s a few years later. I was aiming for around 20 or 21.
Never know. It might happen.
I have mixed feelings about sharing this with you Niall, but there’s a bit of news on the City of Heroes front. Namely, it’s up, running and free to play. Here’s the forums: https://score.savecoh.com/index.php
I say I have mixed feelings since I’m not sure about distractions from the writing thing 😉
I’d heard about it. Somehow, I don’t think it’d be quite the same, though I may take a look. Anyway, I’m currently distracted enough. You’re right, I’m not going for any more distractions than I have just at the moment. 🙂
In the wake of this book I decided to reread the other two of this series. And at one point I started to wonder: How would a non-sensitive become a supplicant? Would they first have to learn “There are Vampires” by themselves?
Nevertheless that means that this worldwide conspiracy has thousands or even millions of humans in it whose loyalty might be questionable.
As I recall, a comment to that effect is made in the book. Something to the effect of ‘they were safer when they hunted their food.’
As to how they find out… How does anyone find out about any drug? Word of mouth, basically.
Niall, thought I should let you know, someone has placed an audiobook of Steel beneath the Skin on YouTube – name of John Howard with 106 views, 8 months ago.
Thanks.
Niall, haven’t heard from you recently here, everything ok?
That all depends on your definition of ‘OK.’ 🙂
Writing could be going better. I’m having trouble keeping focused. Basically, I need a holiday, and I’m organising that. Hopefully, that’ll get my focus back, but (with time taken for writing, editing, and such) I think it’s going to be late August or September before I put my next book out. Maybe sooner, but that kind of breathing space would be useful to get back into a working rhythm.
and what is the next one, we should be keeping an eye out for ??
That depends on how things work out as I go along. I’m currently working on the next Twilight Empress AND the next Ultrahumans. Which one actually goes out next depends on which gets finished first.
Like I said: my focus is really shot atm. Both will get done, but the exact order is currently not entirely known.
Hmmm, not sure which of those two Id like to see first. Been waiting for a while to see where Twilight Empress goes, but Ultrahumans has turned into one of my favorite series, which is odd considering the superhero genre is not one Im very into. Ugly was the first superhero book Id ever read I liked, even though I kept going back to the genre for years looking for good books because its one of those genres that is appealing even if I have trouble finding anything I really like.
Andrea, Cygnus, and Frostburn were talking about the self-supporting space station at Le Fay Coffee when Diamond clears her throat,’Uh, guys, I think we are missing a plate.’
Andrea looks at the table where Diamond is sitting and asks,’where is your plate, Diamond?’
‘I gave it to Cygnus when I heard crunching,’ Diamond replied.