Jess Faraday's Blog

Surprise! My friends at Blind Eye Books have decided to release my four-volume short fiction cycle early! You can now enjoy them on Amazon, while you wait for the release of the omnibus in the Spring.

What will you get?


A Study in Spectres Two tales of Mystery and intrigue: The Ghost of St. Sebastian and Slough Dog

A Case of Curses A Harrowing Haunting and a Missing Mummy, in the Haunting of Comiston House and The Star-Crossed Lovers

Sanguine Solutions Two bloodthirsty accounts of Vice and Villainy, in The Blood is the Life and The Sheriff of Penbreigh

Arcane Adversaries Two stories of Uncanny Enemies and Unexpected Outcomes, in The Natural Order of Things and First Foot

These stories were a lot of fun to write. I hope you'll enjoy them.

Coming in February 2018: 8 novelettes featuring Constable Simon Pearce of Scotland Yard.

Constable Simon Pearce doesn’t believe in love. It’s a dangerous proposition for many people in 19th century London, but for an ambitious copper climbing Scotland Yard’s greasy career ladder, it’s out of the question.

He doesn’t believe in monsters, either, though there seem to be a lot of them about. Whether it’s a ghost haunting a London churchyard where men seek men’s companionship, a phantom hound in Edinburgh that’s hell-bent on revenge, or a murdered businessman on a cross-country train who just won’t stay dead—the mysterious has a way of finding Pearce, whether he wants it to or not.

But are these happenings truly supernatural? Or is something worse—something thoroughly human—to blame?

Pearce has his theories—about crime, about monsters, and about love. But life has a way of testing even the most carefully considered ideas. And as he chases mysteries from one end of Britain to the other, he may just have to reconsider his ideas about all three.

Alternative Truths III: Endgame

Very proud, if a bit late in announcing the release of this magnificent anthology. It was an honor to be asked to help bring it into the world, and I think we did a good job.

The real heroes, though, are the authors. There were SO MANY amazing submissions, and it was SO HARD to pick the very best ones, but somehow we managed.

It's a wide variety of themes and tones, from terrifying to hopeful to laugh-out-loud funny. Each and every story is a gem.

So if you're disconcerted about today's current events, check it out.

I think you'll like it.

Woke up this morning to find that my novella, The Strange Case of the Big Sur Benefactor, is a finalist for a GCLS "Goldie" Award for Lesbian Historical. W00t! The winners will be announced on July 6 at the Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Lots of my fellow BSB authors on the finalist list. BSB REPRESENT!

Also, Elm Books is putting together our best anthology yet--and we need your help! Support Death by Cupcake's Indiegogo campaign, and you could win paperbacks, ebooks, the right to name a character in the new anthology, or even a manuscript critique from an acquiring editor!

And runner-up for Best Gay Novel of 2015!

I am absolutely blown away. For anyone unfamiliar with Elisa Rolle's Rainbow Awards it's a truly monumental undertaking of organization and promotion. This year Elisa wrangled over 450 books and 170 judges, and raised $17,300 for charity! And this is in addition to her very challenging day job!

So thanks Elisa and judges, and for all you readers, please go to the above link, check out the list of winners, runners-up, and honorable mentions, and pick out some new favorites! And when you find some that you like, give them a review--reviews sell books, and when books sell, authors write more of them!

Also, please check out Elisa's wonderful book Days of Love, a retrospective of LGBTQ love through the ages.

Was very pleased to learn that Fool's Gold has received an honorable mention in this year's Rainbow Awards. An honorable mention means that the book has received a minimum of 35 out of 40 points from judges. Winners will be announced on December 8. Fool's Gold is the third book in the Ira Adler series, right after Turnbull House, which received third runner up in last year's Rainbow Awards, and The Affair of the Porcelain Dog, which was shortlisted for a Lambda award. If you want to read what the judges had to say, you can do so here:

Thank you judges, Elisa, and especially you, dear readers!

I've been thinking a lot about novellas. They've never really had their day, in part, because it's not cost-effective to produce them in print. But with the explosion in popularity for ebooks, shorter work really seems to be coming into its own.

There do seem to be a lot of novellas about recently. Perhaps I'm only noticing now because I've just released my first one--you know, like when you buy a new pair of shoes you thought were unique, and suddenly you start seeing them everywhere. But novellas really seem to be trending right now, and I, for one, think it's great.

And on that note, the first review for my novella, The Strange Case of the Big Sur Benefactor is out, and The Novel Approach loved it! Here's some of what they had to say:

"Faraday is a brilliant wordsmith who knows her way around the crafting of historical fiction, understanding where the balance exists between too much detail and not enough, firmly placing her readers in the time and place her stories are set without bogging down the flow of the storyline. What I hadn’t experienced yet from this author, in my reading of her work, is the paranormal element she’s woven into this novella, and I must say it’s just earned her a spot on my list of favorite historical paranormal fiction authors. "

Wow. I'm blushing over here.

Anyway, what are some of your favorite novellas? I'd love some suggestions to add to my TBR list.

Jess

Starting a new segment on my blog--each month, I'm interviewing two authors and/or artists.

It's July, and we have MJ Williamz and Jeannie Levig. MJ is a veteran author with too many pieces to her name to count. Jeannie has just published her very first book.

Meet these fascinating folks here!

This says it all. Congratulations, U.S., for stepping out on the side of love, dignity, and equality.

I suppose I shouldn't whine about the heat. It's taken long enough to get here, and all indications point to a decent rainy season when it's over. Still...SIGH.

But July is bringing several good things with it, including...

...a new feature on my website, wherein I interview some excellent artists and authors. I have two a month lined up for the rest of the year, so stop by and check it out! July's authors will be MJ Williamz and Jeannie Levig.

...another *gasp* new release! My long-ish short story, About A Dog (an Amy Archer adventure set in 1940s Los Angeles) will appear in The Mischief Corner Books Quarterly, vol. 2. The debut issue of this LGBTQ fiction mag was outstanding, so if you haven't checked it out, do so now!

And last but not least, I've given my website a tweak, with some new designs and content.

Happy summer--and keep cool!