Skyla Dawn Cameron

My characters kill people so I don't have to.

You are here: Home / Archives for livi talbot

By Leave a Comment

Soundtrack Sunday – ODIN’S SPEAR Edition

A lot of Livi’s themes from Solomon’s Seal apply here too.

 

Ana Johnsson – “We Are“
Odin’s Spear book theme.

 

Jen Titus – “O’Death”
Opening funeral.

 

Odds – “I Would Be Your Man“
At the vet office: “On occasion.” “Watch it, Buttons.”
Is it gonna hurt if we try?//Is this the calm before the flood?//Well, we may skip like stones//Or you could pull me from the mud

 

Ed Sheeran – “Kiss Me”
“Periodically I forget you’re human. I’m sorry for that.” “I won’t let the apology go to my head, don’t worry.”
I was made to keep your body warm//But I’m cold as the wind blows so hold me in your arms

 

Bobby Tahouri – “The Deathless Prophet“
Exploring under the water.

 

Radiohead – “Creep (Acoustic)“
West.
Whatever makes you happy//Whatever you want   What the hell am I doing here//I don’t belong here//I don’t belong here

 

Jason Graves – “The Mask of Krati“

 

The Flamingos – “I Only Have Eyes For You”
“Mr. Dark Triad doesn’t bite?” “Not unless it benefits me, obviously.”

 

OneRepublic – “Something I Need“
“You fall, I fall.”
But you’re like the net under the ledge//when I go flying off the edge//you go flying off as well

 

Jason Graves – “Alone”
Chapter 35: Bigger Than a Breadbox

 

Madonna – “Die Another Day“
Chapter 37: War

 

Cranberries – “Zombie“
Also Ch 37.

 

Florence + The Machine – “Shake It Out”
This was my alternative for the epilogue theme.
Regrets collect like old friends//here to relive your darkest moments

 

Mumford & Sons – “After the Fall“
Epilogue theme.
Because death is just so full and man so small//Well I’m scared of what’s behind and what’s before//And there will come a time, you’ll see, with no more tears//And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears

 

The book is out on Tuesday! I hope you get it and enjoy it.

By Leave a Comment

“When’s That Book Coming?” Winter 2017 Edition

What’s Upcoming

Only firm release at the moment is next month’s return to the world of Livi Talbot with Odin’s Spear:

ALL’S FAIR IN SIBLING RIVALRY AND WAR.

After nearly losing her family and her life, Olivia Talbot is trying to leave the world of artifact hunting behind. But an adrenaline junkie unsuited for a 9 to 5 job can’t hide herself forever, especially when deadly operative Dale West comes knocking with off-book work for his covert organization.

It’ll be “easy”, West says—just a trip to the museum. But a deranged former soldier is seeking to reunite the pieces of Gungnir—spear of the Norse god Odin—which is capable of starting war, and this job is much bigger than anyone has let on.

Followed by the dogged son of a tabloid mogul, competing with her archaeologist older brother, and still struggling to trust West against her better judgement, Livi will venture into an ancient underwater city in the Mediterranean to stop the dawn of a new war. But the spear of a god has plans for them all, and power not even she might be able to withstand.

More Livi! More Pru & Em! MORE WEST! Coming February 7!

Odin’s Spear is available for pre-order wherever ebooks are sold, like: Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | Kobo | Nook | iBookstore | Smashwords

The paperback is now available on Amazon as well, if that’s your thing (and you want to read it early). ARCs and snippets have gone out to Patrons of Snark. And now I wait and hope it’s received as well as the first was. There’s some heavy stuff in this one and should probably have a trigger warning, so…trigger warning!

This is the only firm date I have at the moment, but we’re just into 2017 now–more coming next update.

 

What I’m Working On

Um, not a whole lot, I’m afraid. For the last several months, volunteer commitments have taken up so much of my time and energy, writing has dropped to a trickle. It’s not something I can keep up, so I’m trying to re-prioritize writing, because while I make about as much as I do volunteering, at least it somewhat saves my sanity instead of destroys it.

I have a little bit of Livi #3 done and some of it worked out, and I’m kind of itching to write something standalone to share with my Patrons of Snark. Rewriting Wolfe is still on my plate for this year as well, although I haven’t formally scheduled time for it yet.

 

What I’m Reading

I thought this might be a nice new addition to my quarterly state of the union.

I just finished Josh Malerman’s A House at the Bottom of a Lake. I loved his debut Bird Box, and was eager to read this new novella. It had an almost Lynchian creepiness to many of the scenes, which I enjoyed. Probably not for everyone but I found it intriguing.

I’m trying to read The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike at the moment but, translated from Japanese, the dialogue doesn’t read as natural and there are niggly craft things that pull me out (which, again, is probably chalked up to translation).  I’ll keep picking at it but I have so little pleasure reading time given all the editing I do, I’m not sure how far I’ll get. As a result, I decided to pull out Christopher Fowler’s Nyctophobia to re-read.

As you can tell, I’m in the mood for horror–preferably haunted house related. Have any good recommendations? I think I might end up writing one.

 

If you haven’t read Solomon’s Seal, catch up before the second book drops! Available in print and ebook wherever books are sold.

By Leave a Comment

Human Suit and Patchwork Hearts

Well, I think most agree 2016 can be on its way and perhaps the door can hit its ass on the way out. Then we can barricade the door shut again. On the bright side, 2017 brings the return of Twin Peaks and Agent Cooper, so if Trumperdink can hold off on WWIII just long enough for Showtime to air all the episodes before I have to start my underground railroad, I’ll consider it a win for the year.

I’m away for the holidays (for the first time in…ever?) and staying for a few weeks with one of my brothers and his family. I get to do normal human things like a normal human person and learn what it’s like to live without the crushing weight of existential despair all the time (until I inevitably sign onto Twitter again). A human suit is both simultaneously ill-fitting and natural. I have made little bits of progress with the WIP for the first time in months and if I can just figure out how to get through this heist scene (not my forte) and move the action to the first emperor’s tomb, that’s bound to improve my productivity. I’ve mostly written the epilogue, and I’ve got the beginning, so now it’s just eight-odd thousand words of Oreo middle to figure out.

Nine days left for stuff this year:

  1. Bloodlines is 99c. The Demons of Oblivion series is now complete (for better or worse) and that book is where it all begins.  Virtual stocking stuffer?
  2. Odin’s Spear e-ARC giveaway, complete with signed books and tuckerization. This is likely the last contest I will run for the foreseeable future (seriously stop me if I even contemplate it) so hop on board while you can. I am otherwise giving up on reviews forever–I just don’t write books people want to talk up and that’s okay, I love you all anyway because I’m a lurker too.
  3. 2016 is terrible so get Solomon’s Seal for 50% off at Payhip with the coupon code 2016ISTERRIBLE. I’m original like that.
  4. Patreon drive: get your name in the “credits” of Odin’s Spear by pledging any amount as a Patron of Snark by the end of the year.

This time next year I’ll be able to post Livi’s post-Odin’s Spear Christmas novella for Patrons of Snark so that’ll be fun.

In shaping the epilogue of Livi #3, I’m getting a clearer sense now of the shape of the book and the shape of those first three, how they might stand as a trilogy if I decide not to keep publishing. The fourth is already done and is one of my favourite things I’ve ever written (it is The West Book and both makes me giddy as well as breaks my heart), but it starts a series of emotional cliffhanger types of endings, and if I publish that book, I’ll have to publish the rest of the series (ten…ten! They’re mapped out and I need ten for the complete story). I’ll decide next year if that’ll make any kind of sense or not. Those who have read the first loved it, and that’s heartening and what I try to focus on even if it can’t feed the cats while I work on the next one.

For now, I have to get back to that heist with my Zheng’s Tomb soundtrack in the background. Here’s a bit of Livi and West:

Patchwork hearts lighting up the dark.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, folks.

By Leave a Comment

Odin’s Spear e-ARC Giveaway

I still have another round of proofreading to do, which means I’ll be making the final files for Odin’s Spear Feb 7 release next month. Want to read it early? Unless you’re a Patron of Snark who gets e-ARCs, here’s your only other chance.

Review Solomon’s Seal. Anywhere. Give it five stars, give it one (although why you’d want to enter to win an ARC if you hated it is beyond me). Make it five paragraphs or five words. Doesn’t matter–reviews up a book’s ranking on stores and some advertisers want a book to have 10+ reviews before you can use their services (should I ever be so inclined), so anything works, and this little book needs all the help it can get.

What can you win?

  • e-ARC of Odin’s Spear (est. delivery: early Jan 2017)
  • signed print copy of Solomon’s Seal (est. delivery: Feb 2017)
  • signed print copy of Odin’s Spear (est. delivery: Feb 2017)
  • West (tiger) bookmark (est. delivery: Feb 2017)
  • your name used in Zheng’s Tomb (Livi #3, currently on hold but hopefully finished in a few months). Want an example? Look at Danielle, Mel, and Sparky in Oblivion.
  • probably other goodies I’ve yet to decide upon

Enter through the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. Also, reviews already posted still count as much as new ones do. Not every store requires you to purchase the book there, so you can post your review multiple places.

A winner will be drawn January 2nd 2017.

Solomon’s Seal is also currently on sale at Payhip if you use the coupon code 2016ISTERRIBLE, good through the end of the year.

Also until the end of the year, all Patrons of Snark (in good standing payment wise in January) will be thanked in the acknowledgements of Odin’s Spear–sort of a “this book is brought to you by” kind of thing. Still a few weeks left! I just posted the first five chapters of Odin’s Spear for patrons as well.

patreon-odinsspear

Also on the Livi Talbot front, I’m offering tidbits and Easter eggs about the series on my Facebook page if you want to play along: every “like” on this post = a different factoid.

Finally, Bloodlines is on sale for 99c until the end of the year. Tell your friends! The series is now complete so it’s a great time to start without any waiting for a future book.

bloodlinessale

I hope you enter to win Odin’s Spear–it was a difficult book that took a lot of work to polish up but I’m excited about Livi’s second outing and can’t wait for people to get to read it.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

By Leave a Comment

SOLOMON’S SEAL Releases!

Here it is! At last!

I really love this book and I’m happy it’s finally out there. I hope you check it out and dig it.

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | Kobo | Nook | iBookstore | OmniLit | Smashwords | Direct | Payhip | Print

1-Solomon'sSeal-KindleEX-DEBUTANTE. SINGLE MOTHER. TREASURE HUNTER.

Disowned and left penniless for getting pregnant at seventeen, former celebutante Olivia Talbot was willing to do whatever it took to provide for her daughter…including become a treasure hunter. Since the Pulse hit, activating relics of legend, there are plenty of artifacts to be had—not to mention wealthy clients willing to pay top dollar for them.

Just as her daughter’s private school tuition cheque bounces, Livi gets an offer that could be the break she needs to return to some semblance of her former life. A potential new client wants her to travel to Ethiopia and retrieve the Seal of Solomon—a mythical ring said to control demons and djinn—and this bounty comes with one hell of a financial pay off.

The deadline: a week. The team: unreliable. The competition: her world-renowned archaeologist older brother. Nothing Livi can’t handle… Except the danger goes beyond a few subterranean serpent-dragons she might encounter or tangling with her employer’s deadly second-in-command. This client isn’t all he seems, and handing him the ring might be worse than what he’ll do to her—and her daughter—if she doesn’t.

“Whip-smart, gritty, and fascinating. Olivia Talbot is a badass, and a mother, I’d want on my side if the world went to hell. Skyla Dawn Cameron’s deft characterization, complex plotting, and brutal action leaves the reader gasping for more.”
–Lilith Saintcrow, New York Times Bestselling Author

“It’s well written with a balanced blend of humor and adventure you can’t deny is spellbinding.”
–My World…in words and pages

If you’re into soundtracks, here’s this book’s.

Melissa of My World…in words and pages has the full review up today here and a guest post from me about Livi called DNA of a Hero.

And..that’s pretty much it. I won’t be doing any Amazon freebies like when I re-launched the Demons of Oblivion series–Solomon’s Seal is basically relying on word of mouth. If you enjoy the book, please consider telling a friend (or leaving a review, or sacrificing a virgin to the elder gods).

Tomorrow is my birthday and party for the book (in the event you’re in the area).

2-odinsspear-kindle

Odin’s Spear comes early 2017! Revisions are in progress now and I’m hoping to have them all done next month as I’m diving into writing the third book in November.

MEET SKYLA DAWN

Writer of urban fantasy, thrillers/mysteries, and horror.
Fifth-generation crazy cat lady. Bitchy feminist.
So tired all the goddamn time.

My characters kill people so I don’t have to.

read more

Become a Patron!

Socials

What I’m Working On:

Writing Waverly 8 and revising Waverly 4.