Kat Simons's Blog

Oh boy was January a busy month down my way, but things are settling out a little on the home front (even if the world is chaos and weirdness F*CK ICE!).

But now we are into February and February sees the return ofthe Dragon Thief, which I'm very excited about! I also have the prelaunch page up for the Cary RedmondKickstarter. More on that below.

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NEW RELEASE

First up, the new Dragon Thief story THE BLACKMAIL JOB is out everywhere now! This is book 11, the penultimate book in Season Two of the series. And things are getting more complicated in the dragon shifter world for Myra and Christopher. Still, there are damsels to save. And the team is ready!

THE BLACKMAIL JOBA Dragon Thief StoryDragon Thief Book 11
OUT EVERYWHERE NOW!

Crushing secrets rise to haunt and devastate… 

Grappling with their discovery of a new and deadly foe, Myraand Christopher struggle to untangle the mess. Political machinations. Dragonshifter politics. Secrets buried so deeply to raise them could provedevastating.

Myra never imagined falling in love with a dragon shifterprince would prove so complicated and dangerous. Yet past secrets and darkplans continue to drag them into someone else’s nefarious plot. Uncovering thetruth takes time. And distressed damsels still need saving from unscrupulous,murderous villains.

With a job to do, Myra and Christopher must put theirprivate struggles to one side. And hope they can rescue their latest clientbefore everything implodes. Because when those long-buried secrets find thelight, Myra knows they’ll change everything.

Don’t miss this dark, twisty urban fantasy romance adventurethrough the Dragon Thief world, where a magical thief and her dragon princeface enemies old and new. And a future that hangs by a fraying rope.
~~~
THE CAFE AT KATSIMONSBOOKS
As a reminder, the newest Café story is up now! STRANGE THINGS ARE AFOOT AT THE CAFE is free to read until March 1st. And for people of a certain age, you might recognize some of the references to a certain time traveling duo from the late 80s. *grin*

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NEW KICKSTARTER

So far, so good for launching the new Cary Redmond Kickstarter in April. Right now, the prelaunch page is up, and it is currently very basic. But you can follow that page to get notified when the Kickstarter launches.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/katsimons/the-trouble-with-families-and-goblins-urban-fantasy-romance

The more followers on this page, the better the launch usually goes, so if you could follow that page, that'd be great. I will be posting a few things to the page over the course of March, too, so keep checking back!

I'm really excited to get this book into the hands of Cary Redmond fans because introducing Cary's very mundane family with no idea that shapeshifters exist to Deacon's entire shapeshifter family while there are also other shenanigans going on the background was an absolute delight. And I hope readers will enjoy the story too!

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LOOK AHEAD

So as a look ahead to next month, there will be more Café stories, more about the upcoming Kickstarter, and, with the usual caveats because life is weird, I will have a new Percy James Mystery out! Look out for all those details next month.

The next Dragon Thief story is working its way through the process now and is scheduled to release in May. That one is the last story for Season Two. And of course, it's fun and you should read it. LOL. I'll have more about that soon.

As a reminder, if you'd like to keep up on all my news and releases and such, you can always join my Reader Newsletter and get the details directly to your inbox. Subscribers get two free, exclusive stories (one Cary Redmond story and one Tiger Shifters story), as well as news, updates, cover reveals, excerpts, and occasional discount coupons to my store. Also occasional pictures of my baking exploits or travel. The newsletter comes out (for the most part) monthly and is a great way to keep up without putting in any effort at all *grin*



Finally, as I mentioned getting my AI statement up on the site a few months back, you might be able to tell, I haven't yet. So for the record, I am still NOT using AI in any of my marketing, cover art, interior art, and certainly not in my writing (I literally just write all the time so I have a backlog of things that need to be published). And I do still intend on having a formal statement on the sight sometime soon.
With the art, because I use stock photos, I'm doing my best to ensure I don't use AI, but some might slip through. If I'm made aware of that, I will change things. But this is just a reminder before I can get a page up that, to the best of my ability, I am not using AI in my publishing in any capacity. This is not a statement about the us of AI by other authors and publishers. This is just my own personal position on the technology within my personal writing and publishing.
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OKAY SO, that's good for Romance Month, in which I have very little in the way of Romance to talk about! LOL. But since the Dragon Thief series is an urban fantasy romance/paranormal romance series, it counts. Until next month, I hope the world is treating you kindly and gently, and that you are finding very good stories to read!
Happy Reading!

And all I can say is, at least we have books. At least we have books. (I'm in the US and things here are weird and not good. I feel like where I stand on things is obvious in my fiction, but in case it isn't, I'm anti-authoritarian, can't stand the current administration here, and believe in science. Also, PROTECT THE DOLLS. Spend your money wisely.)
Anyway, let's talk about books and take a little respite. This month is all about The Café at KatSimonsBooks. The Café stories continue . Those are free to read for two weeks, so for anyone who's feeling the pinch of higher costs this year, you can read and enjoy each Café story. Be sure to check back in on those on the 1st and 15th of the month, so you don't miss anything you want to read. The Café is a nice place to escape to for an hour or two.
Currently, the resident familiar, Nina's Maine Coon Boo, has a story from his perspective up. A day in the life of Boo. Don't miss it!
Boo at the Café is free to read until February 1st!


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In addition to the free stories, all of the different 2025 stories have been put into two collections now! And STORIES FROM THE CAFE: VOLUME TWO is out everywhere today.
This collection has all the Café stories from July through December 2025. If you missed anything in the last six months or just want to have the stories for yourself so you can enjoy them whenever you like, pick up this collection. It's available at KatSimonsBooks as well as everywhere in eBook, Trade paperback, Large Print paperback, and Hardcover editions, to suit your reading needs.
Just a little heads up, if the print editions haven't populated out to your favorite vendors yet, they will be there soon!
STORIES FROM THE CAFE: VOLUME TWOA Cafe Collection
Out Everywhere Now

Welcome back to the Café…

Return to the cozy, mysterious, and magical world of the Caféat KatSimonsBooks, where anything can happen. And often does!

Heart-thumping romance. Dangerous mysteries. Otherworldlycreatures. Magic and mayhem. Where ordinary humans sip coffee alongside paranormalcreatures. Gods hang out reading paperbacks and meddling where they please. Therich scent of coffee blends with the yummy smells of fresh pastries and brandnew books.

And at the center of it all, the witch proprietress Nina andher familiar Boo keep everything running smoothly. At least, as smoothly as amagical café can run.

Enter the Café and settle in for a while. Meet old friendsand new. And maybe, just maybe, witness a bit of magic. Don’t miss this latestcollection of Stories from The Café at KatSimonsBook!

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And of course, if you've missed any of the stories from the first half of 2025 and would like your own personal copy of those, STORIES FROM THE CAFE: VOLUME ONE is also available everywhere in eBook, Trade, Large Print, and Hardback editions.

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As a little look ahead to next month, February is supposed to be Romance month. And as long time readers will know, I'm not crazy about Valentine's Day as a holiday. BUT I do have the next Dragon Thief story coming out! Which is exciting and a little overdue. And also qualifies as a romance so I'm not shunning the holiday all together! 

Myra and Christopher have to deal with the revelations from THE GOLDEN CHALICE JOB, and that's really fun. And of course, they have things to steal and damsels in distress to rescue. If you're a bit behind on the series, now's the time to catch up!

Meanwhile, over at the Café, I'll have one of my angry FMCs making an appearance to meet another very angry FMC in the first story of the month. I love angry women characters. They're so cathartic. *grin* Be sure to swing by on the 1st of February so you don't miss them!

And if you're feeling the need for a little angry women doing stuff right now, check out ANGER MANAGEMENT.

Be sure to check back next month for details about the next Dragon Thief book, and more about the goings on at the Café (though be sure to hop over there on the 1st of February if you don't want to wait for reminders!) And I should also have some news about my next Kickstarter by then. Because I have a new Cary Redmond novel coming soon! That needs to be celebrated. The world needs more Protectors.

Until February, I hope the world is treating you kindly, or at least as well as can be expected, and I hope you find respite and joy where you can. And as always, I hope you find some really good reading for the month!

~Kat

And boy what a whirlwind of chaos the end of this year has been (also flu sucks!) ANYWAY. I'm going to use the new year to reset a little and get going again with a schedule I hope will be a little less chaotic.

More on the year ahead below. I also have new books out this month to talk about!
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RELEASES

First up, the final Demon Witch series book APOCALYPSE WITCH is officially out everywhere now! The print and hardback editions should be available most places or will be available soon.

APOCALYPSE WITCHA Demon Witch Novel
Demon Witch, Book 5
AVAILABLE NOW

The Apocalypse Witch… A disaster? A warning? Or adestiny…

With this new cursed power dangling a knife over her headand pinning a target to her back, witch Angie Jordan faces one last trial tofind answers. Before the dark magic kills her. A journey that tests hercontrol. Strains her bond with Sebastian. And reveals secrets that coulddevastate her realm. A quest that pits her and Sebastian against an enemyunlike anything they’ve encountered before.

As demons hunt them, and the dangers expand with every step,Angie’s powers grow more erratic. Uncertain who to trust, time becomes theirenemy. Because if they fail, no one will be safe.

From the demons. Or from Angie.

Don’t miss this heart-pounding final book in the acclaimedDemon Witch series. With everything on the line, and the fate of Angie,Sebastian, and the entire human world hanging in the balance.

 ~~

The paperback and hardback editions of the other books in the series with the new covers are available some places but still populating out, so if you want the new covers, you can either order from my store, or give it another week or so for the updates to go through. Careful on Amazon. I've taken down the old versions of the books but the old covers are still showing so you might get directed to those editions.

Large Print editions of all the Demon Witch Books will be updated and rereleased in the new year. Ran out of time to get those sorted. So if you're a Large Print readers, be sure to check back here for updates.

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In addition to the new covers, there's also a new duology of the two shorter prequel stories. The eBook of HOWLING DREADFUL ON A MOONLIT STRANGE is only available in a few places so far, including my store. I'll be getting the eBook of the duology out in the new year as well.

But in the meantime, the paperback and hardback of this edition should be working its way out everywhere. And if you have the individual books for MOONLIT STRANGE and HOWLING DREADFUL, there's no big changes in the duology, so you don't need to buy that extra book.

HOWLING DREADFUL ON A MOONLIT STRANGEA Demon Witch Prequel Duology

AVAILABLE NOW

Angela Jordanplanned a future that fell apart one long-ago day in a church parking lot.Though she tries to follow her true path as a witch, fate and the demons pullher away. And when the demon hunter who saved her life knocks on her door, thehunter’s protégé in tow, looking for help, Angie answers the call.

Starting her down apath through a demonic world she hates. The only light…meeting the love of herlife. But being in Sebastian’s world takes a toll on Angie. Forces her into herworst nightmares. Death always one mistake away.

To hold ontoSebastian, Angie lives and fights beside him. But the cost she pays might betoo high. Even to keep the love of her life.

This prequelduology to the Demon Witch series takes readers on a dangerous meet cute, abeginning to a deep love, that could lead Angie and Sebastian into a brightfuture, or devastate them both. Don’t miss these darkly magical prequel storiesto the Demon Witch series!

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AND in addition to the new Demon Witch books and editions, I'm SO excited to have out the latest HAUNTS AND HOWLS book! I'm kind of kicking myself for getting this one out so late in the year. I really do prefer to release the Haunts and Howls collections in October. But the last half of this year has just been crazy. BUT, it's out now! Available in eBook, Trade paperback, and Large Print editions!

HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND DRAGON TALESA Haunts and Howls Collection
AVAILABLE NOW  

Follow, mere mortals, for here there be dragons…

Beyond the mists of time. Through the thin veil betweenrealms. Enter a world of dragons both old and new. Mystic beings of power andmagic. Danger and strength. Wisdom and violence.

Here, intrepid heroes venture into uncharted waters.Encountering creatures so powerful their legends span all of human history.Tread cautiously. For here there be dragons…

In this latest Haunts and Howls collection of seven newcontemporary fantasy stories, bestselling author Kat Simons delivers dragontales from the quiet to the epic. From the truly deadly, to the sublime. Don’tmiss every delicious, dangerous adventure into the realms of dragons. Includinga brand new Destiny Cats novella!

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I'm REALLY excited about this edition of the Haunts and Howls books. If you haven't guessed, I love dragons and have since I was a kid. My gateway into reading science fiction and fantasy was Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. So this collection is near and dear to me. And I just love the stories in it. I hope readers will enjoy it too!

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SALES

There are all sorts of seasonal sales going on this month as well, so be sure to check those out. I have a bunch of things on sale over at KatSimonsBooks.


AND most of my catalogue is in the Smashwords Annual Winter Sale! So be sure to check that out too. Lots of good books involved.

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NEWS AND A LOOK-AHEAD

So, as I mentioned above, the last part of the year got away from me and I feel like I'm ending on a chaotic note. I'm hoping to corral all that chaos going into the new year and settle on a more reasonable schedule given the stuff going on in my personal life in the upcoming year (all good stuff! Just a lot of Big Events that I want to make sure I'm present for and not stressed about the publishing stuff around those things).

I will continue with the twice a month Stories from the Cafe at KatSimonsBooks . Those will still
come out every 1st and 15th of the month for readers to enjoy for free, with collections of the previous six months of stories coming out...well, every six months. VOLUME TWO of the STORIES FROM THE CAFE will be out in January toward the end of the month. You can preorder the eBook from KatSimonsBooks now if you want to make sure to get it!

The next two installments of the Dragon Thief series are written and just waiting on edits and cover art. Those will be released early in the new year. I was hoping for January and February or March release, but at this stage, it's looking more like February and March or April. If things go better than I anticipate, I'll be sure to update here! But yeah, looking like February and April will be more reasonable release times.

I also have book 9 of the Cary Redmond series just waiting in the wings! That one does have a cover--or at least it's almost finished. Still working through edits--but there's still editing. So for this book, I'm going to celebrate a little by doing a Kickstarter for it! That will be either March or April and I will definitely update here as it approaches and the prelaunch page goes live.

I will also have a new Haunts and Howls Collection out in October 2026, this one with a ghost theme!! Perfect for spooky season. So look out for that one. (I may launch it with a Kickstarter!) It will have a new Cary Redmond novella in it, and I have a story about writing that story. But I'll talk more about that closer to the time. (tease LOL)

Around all of this, I have a few Percy James Mysteries releasing and a couple more collections to put together that I've had on the backburner for entirely too long now. Time to get them out! I also have a really fun collaborative thing I'm doing in August, but I'll tell you more about that in the new year.

Because 2026 is for catching up a little, I will have Dragon Thief on hiatus after the twelfth book comes out, but only for a short time. Except the new season of Dragon Thief to start up again in 2027!

So big plans for the upcoming year, but hopefully a more reasonable work schedule for me. LOL. Wish me luck!

And until next month, may your holiday season be lovely and full of light and peace and warmth and love. Happy Holidays!

Kat

November was a weird month and now it's almost over! I'm not entirely sure how that happened, but here we are almost upon Thanksgiving here in the US. Eek! But I do have some updates and news, so here we go.
Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who was able to support the APOCALYPSE WITCH Kickstarter, whether by directly backing or passing the word. I truly appreciate all the help! The eBook is currently up for preorder and will release everywhere on December 3rd. If you're a backer, you will have received your copy already. The print books are going to probably launch a bit later than the eBook this time around because I'm doing some fun interior stuff and want to make sure I get the proofs before I let the books go live. But I'll have links and updates on that next month.

APOCALYPSE WITCHDemon Witch, Book FiveReleases December 3rd
PURCHASE LINKS

The Apocalypse Witch… A disaster? A warning? Or adestiny…

With this new cursed power dangling a knife over her headand pinning a target to her back, witch Angie Jordan faces one last trial tofind answers. Before the dark magic kills her. A journey that tests hercontrol. Strains her bond with Sebastian. And reveals secrets that coulddevastate her realm. A quest that pits her and Sebastian against an enemyunlike anything they’ve encountered before.

As demons hunt them, and the dangers expand with every step,Angie’s powers grow more erratic. Uncertain who to trust, time becomes theirenemy. Because if they fail, no one will be safe.

From the demons. Or from Angie.

Don’t miss this heart-pounding final book in the acclaimedDemon Witch series. With everything on the line, and the fate of Angie,Sebastian, and the entire human world hanging in the balance.

***

In addition to the release of Apocalypse Witch, I have the latest Haunts and Howls collection out!

First, I want to apologize for this one being a little later this year than usual. I do like to have the Haunts and Howls collections out in October for spooky season, but the year got away from me. Hopefully the plan for next year leaves us enough room to get everything lined up and the 2026 Haunts and Howls released at its usual time of year.

But! It is officially here now. And since the theme for this collection is Dragons... Well, those are just as fun in December as they are in October. Really, anytime is a good time for dragons.

HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND DRAGON TALES is out at my store today and will be out everywhere on December 17th. The trade paperbacks and large print paperbacks will release on December 17th as well, so for my print readers, that's the release date for you. (I'll post a reminder next month :D)

HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND DRAGON TALES
A Haunts and Howls Collection
BUY DIRECT  Out Now!
PREODER EVERYWHERE  Out December 17th

Follow, mere mortals, for here there be dragons… 

Beyond the mists of time. Through the thin veil between realms.Enter a world of dragons both old and new. Mystic beings of power and magic.Danger and strength. Wisdom and violence.

Here, intrepid heroes venture into uncharted waters.Encountering creatures so powerful their legends span all of human history. Treadcautiously. For here there be dragons…

In this latest Haunts and Howls collection of seven new contemporaryfantasy stories, bestselling author Kat Simons delivers dragon tales from the quietto the epic. From the truly deadly, to the sublime. Don’t miss every delicious,dangerous adventure into the realms of dragons. Including a brand new DestinyCats novella!

***
I'll have more about the other new editions of the Demon Witch series next month, so keep an eye out for that. I've been debating uploading the duology as an eBook, just to give readers alternatives. The print edition of Howling Dreadful on a Moonlit Strange (the combined book of the two prequel stories in the series) will be released with the other updated print books. I wasn't going to upload the eBook, but I did at the store and now I think I will everywhere. The more options, the better, right? More on that next month!
***
Finally, for my Dragon Thief readers! One of the things that got behind over the course of this autumn were the next two Dragon Thief books. They're written and queued up for editing, but the editing process got behind. 
SO, Dragon Thief book 11 will be out in January now. I'll have more on that next month. And because I'm behind, I'll have it out everywhere at the same time (though, of course, I appreciate it a lot when you buy direct! That's the best option for supporting me and my writing. But getting the books anywhere at all is super great too).
I'm still working on the 2026 schedule, so hopefully by next months update, I'll be able to give you a more solid release date for Book 12 in the series. And then, there will be a slight delay before I launch the third season of the Dragon Thief.


I need to get some backlogged projects and stories released over 2026, and since I am not, as it turns out, a four person team all on my own, the work involved will require I delay getting new Dragon Thief books out until probably 2027. All goes to plan (ha!), Book 13 should start the Third Season in January 2027. (And for the record, I cannot believe I'm talking about things in the year 2027. That makes my little GenX brain wobbly. When did that happen!?!)
I will keep you all updated! And you can check back here monthly for news. But in the meantime, there are still two more Dragon Thief stories on their way! And they're an awful lot of fun. :)
Okay, that's more than enough for this late in the month! LOL.
Until next month! Happy Reading.

Don't miss out on all the fun stuff! Last few hours! We funded fast. I'd love to see us finish strong! Don't Miss out!! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/katsimons/apocalypse-witch-final-novel-in-the-demon-witch-series

And while you're there, be sure to check out these other cool Kickstarters going on: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rskellogg/tinsleberry-gate-steampunk-magical-train-station

Super cool and cute for the Holidays!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jasonaadams/winter-delights

And Cozy Fantasy!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/erpaskey/the-glass-slipper-heist-a-cozy-fantasy-cinderella-mystery

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dnpublishing/lost-by-magic-historical-urban-fantasy-hardcover-editions

 Hey all, 

The Kickstarter has officially launched! Any support, spreading the word, any help at all will be greatly appreciated! I am really excited to get this last Demon Witch book out to readers! I can't wait for you all to see how this series ends.

LINK: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/katsimons/apocalypse-witch-final-novel-in-the-demon-witch-series

Thanks again for any support you can give! Yayay!

And as promised, the ghost gif remains because it's so cute... :)

It's almost Halloween and it's definitely October and it's absolutely Spooky Season officially! Yay! (Throws skull and spider shaped confetti!)

AND to celebrate spooky season, there are sales going on, there's a wide release for the latest Dragon Thief story. And THERE'S THE DEMON WITCH KICKSTARTER!

Kickstarter first. That officially launches on October 21st. 

I will add updates here when it does launch and I will include the above GIF in those announcements because the little ghost is too cute and I want them on this page for many more days.

The APOCALYPSE WITCH Kickstarter will include all new covers for the series, updated interiors, really nice new hardback editions with dust jackets and some gorgeous box set options. AND for those of you who have already been buying the paperbacks and prefer the original style cover, or just want to complete your set so everything looks the same, there's a level for that!

The current links lead to the prelaunch page. Please follow that, and you'll get an announcement when the Kickstarter goes live. Noon EST on October 21st!

~~~

On that same day (sorry, my weird scheduling mistake!) THE GOLDEN CHALICE JOB, Dragon Thief Book 10 is available everywhere! It's currently only available in my store , and you can get it there now without waiting! But should you want to get it elsewhere, that happens next Tuesday, and there are preorders available now.

THE GOLDEN CHALICE JOB
Dragon Thief Book 10
FIND IT AT YOUR FAVORITE VENDOR

Ancient secrets, mysterious relics, and a terrifying newenemy…

Waking in a stone-walled prison, her memories blank,adrenaline rushing through her battered body, Myra has no idea what got herthere. No idea what danger awaits outside her cavern cell. Only knows she hasto escape. And she has to unearth her memories.

Because a deadly menace stalks her and Christopher.

A menace linked to artifacts she can’t remember. A job thatwent horribly wrong?

To escape, Myra and Christopher have to trust in her magicalthief skills. Have to dredge up the secrets that brought them to the mysteriouscavern prison that smells like dragon. Have to discover the identity of theircaptor. All before their captor comes back for them.

A new enemy, whose very existence could devastate theirfuture. If they survive long enough to have one…

This latest deadly adventure in the action-packed, romanticurban fantasy Dragon Thief series will leave readers at the edge of their seatsas Myra and Christopher fight to survive a brand new enemy, and discover ifthey have a future together.

~~~

Finally, be sure to check out the sales page at KatSimonsBooks! There's a lot on sale! 

Don't miss the bundle of some of my spookiest books all together for more than HALF OFF! That'll only be available for Halloween. The bundle goes away on November 5th, so if it's got books in it you'd like to get, now's your chance!

There's also a wide FREE sale this month of ROMANCING THE LEOPARD , which is a fun paranormal romance with fated mates, some nasty tiger shifters, a truly hunky nerd of a MMC who's also a leopard shifter, and a genius FMC who is not a shifter but no one minds. There are also some fun surprises at the end. This is a cross over between the Cary Redmond Series and the Tiger Shifter Series and there are guest appearances from both! So if you haven't read this paranormal romance yet, now's the time to pick it up!

~~~
Also a quick reminder, that the latest story from the Cafe is up and this one is a spooky story for spooky season! Don't want to miss FRANCHESCA MILLER AT THE CAFE !
~~~
So I'll be back in a week with the Kickstarter Launch Announcement and probably post a few times with updates here.
Then I'll be back in November with updates about new releases, the Kickstarter finish, and what's happening for the rest of the year. In December, I'll give a look-ahead to 2026, because there will be a few changes that I want everyone to know about.
Until then, please follow the Kickstarter prelaunch page and Happy Reading!
And also HAPPY SPOOKY SEASON!!

I'm writing this with still a few more days until the actual autumnal equinox (up in this hemisphere) and I figure that's close enough. Plus, I need spooky season this year. There will be spooky books, and spooky shows, and spooky food, and once it cools down, spooky blankets. I'm also doing spooky crochet, just to really get all the spooky out of everything.

And I also have books this month! BUT FIRST...

Kickstarter

Just a heads up about my upcoming Kickstarter. The prelaunch pages is there to follow, but I'm not launching until October, hopefully no later. I want to have everything ready to go so there's no delay in fulfillment and life/work has been pretty busy. I want the Kickstarter to be the best I can make it before launching, and I need a little more time for that. Will keep everyone updated here!

And in the meantime, please consider following the prelaunch page--that helps with visibility and a good launch when I do launch. Plus, Kickstarter will let you know the campaign is live.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/katsimons/apocalypse-witch-final-novel-in-the-demon-witch-series
Releases

First up, we have book 10 in the Dragon Thief series! THE GOLDEN CHALICE JOB sees Myra and Christopher discovering a hidden secret and making a whole new enemy. A very very powerful one. So that was fun to write. LOL It's available today from KatSimonsBooks and up for preorder at all other eBook vendors! It'll will release wide on October 21st.

THE GOLDEN CHALICE JOBDragon Thief Book 10 (Season 2)
KatSimonsBooks -- Out Now!
Everywhere Else -- October 21st
Ancient secrets, mysterious relics, and a terrifying newenemy…

Waking in a stone-walled prison, her memories blank,adrenaline rushing through her battered body, Myra has no idea what got herthere. No idea what danger awaits outside her cavern cell. Only knows she hasto escape. And she has to unearth her memories.

Because a deadly menace stalks her and Christopher.

A menace linked to artifacts she can’t remember. A job thatwent horribly wrong?

To escape, Myra and Christopher have to trust in her magicalthief skills. Have to dredge up the secrets that brought them to the mysteriouscavern prison that smells like dragon. Have to discover the identity of theircaptor. All before their captor comes back for them.

A new enemy, whose very existence could devastate theirfuture. If they survive long enough to have one…

This latest deadly adventure in the action-packed, romanticurban fantasy Dragon Thief series will leave readers at the edge of their seatsas Myra and Christopher fight to survive a brand new enemy, and discover ifthey have a future together.

~~

And coming on September 26th, the third Friday's Curious Shop story gets its standalone eBook release! This is a good one for spooky season because, as is typical for Friday's Curious Shop, it is spooky and creepy. THE RED FEAR PIPES, is out everywhere on the 26th but if you don't want to forget it's release, its available for preorder everywhere.

THE RED FEAR PIPESA Friday's Curious Shop Story
Out EVERYWHERE on September 26th
A store for the curious. Enter if you dare…

Riley Anderson never balks at doing the work asked of her atFriday’s Curious Shop. True strange things happen at the store sometimes. And occasionallya weird customer comes in. But her bosses treat her well and ensure she eats. Thequirky thrift shop provided her a job when she might have ended up on thestreets. A little dusting and rearranging in exchange for a steady paycheckfeels like a win.

Yet when her boss asks her to dust the children’s toysection, dread wells up in Riley. So strong and choking, she almost says no.Almost refuses.

Almost runs away.

She has no reason to fear the old puzzle games and discardedinstruments, though. Nothing in the music box case that can hurt her. Nothingtruly menacing about the strange, eerie sounds coming from that part of thestore. Right?

But in Friday’s Curious Shop, appearances deceive. And eveninnocent toys might hold unseen terrors.

Author’s Note: This story is also published in thecollection HAUNTSAND HOWLS AND FAIRY DALES.

~~

Eagle-eye readers might notice a slight change in cover art with this book. I've updated the covers for all
the Friday's Curious Shop series, and did a backmatter update for the previous two stories, but nothing in those stories has changed, and the covers are close enough! There's no need to look into updating your previous versions of the first two stories if you don't want to.

And as always, a reminder for my print readers that this story is part of the HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND FAIRY DALES collection and that is where you can read the story in print!
News

Heads up because this is Spooky Season, there will be sales and new merch and the like going on at KatSimonsBooks over this month and next. I will also be "decorating" the store! It's already got its autumn colors on but there will be more spooky next month. So be sure to check it out!

Reminder that stories are still posting on the 1st and 15th of every month over at the Cafe. At the moment, A DRAGON AT THE CAFE is live and free to read until the last day of September. And that story has a tie in with the Dragon Thief series (none of characters but in the same world), so it might be fun for my Dragon Thief readers.

As a look ahead to next month, you can expect the next Haunts and Howls collection! Just in time for Halloween. And (fingers crossed), the Demon Witch Kickstarter will go live! So it should be a fun month for spooky season with all the spooky books.

For those who'd like a monthly update coming directly to your inbox, this is a reminder that I have a monthly reader newsletter and new subscribers will get two free stories (a Cary Redmond story and a Tiger Shifters story).

And finally, I will at some point soon be adding a page to the website, and probably to the store, addressing the whole generative AI thing.

For the record, I don't use any of it, unless it's done accidentally, and I do try to avoid accidentally picking up and using AI art. I don't use any of the text or video AI programs and I have yet to even try out the audio AI programs. As it happens, I'm one of the authors whose work was stolen to train the current iterations of generative AI text programs (see the Anthropic vs the Authors Guild case), so I do not have a good opinion of those programs and the companies making billions from them. And refuse to use any of them in my own writing and publishing.

Since there's at least one audio narration company who PAY the narrators to license their voices for use in generating things like audiobooks, I'm less adamant about that. The AI will never replace real voice actors, but they will have an opportunity to license their voices (getting paid for people to use their voices!) if they wish in the future. And that's a program I can see using to create low price point audio. HOWEVER, I'm waiting on that for now because I also know a lot of readers don't like AI narrated books.

At any rate, I want to put out a formal declaration for people who want that bit of knowledge. And I want to put it on a page that will stay up and be easy to find. I know since I write a lot and publish a lot, it might start to look a little suspicious, but the truth is, I just write ahead of myself by about a year, and I write all the time. So I just have a lot of things to publish (I'm still sitting on book 9 in the Cary Redmond series!) But given that generative AI is a thing now, I just want to let readers know where I stand and what they can expect from my writing and publishing.

Okay! I think that's more than enough for one post. LOL. HAPPY AUTUMN! (And HAPPY SPRING to those in the southern hemisphere!)

Bye until next month! Happy Reading!

Okay, not quite, but we are getting close and I'm very excited for the autumnal weather and spooky reads! I'm already craving doing crochet projects under a blanket, listening to a good book, and watching spooky movies! *grin*

I have some fun stuff lined up for Spooky Season this year too! Still settling out some of the details, BUT I have a new Kickstarter that will launch in September/October (still setting it up, so looking more like October, but September is still possible!) and this one is for THE FINAL BOOK IN THE DEMON WITCH SERIES!!! 

That's right, the final book. The end of a series. I realize I am bad at this. I finished Cary Redmond and then just kept writing because I left some threads hanging. But this one wraps up the series. Now, there will be more about Angie's past and her series in a future Cary Redmond book because...reasons. But for now, this will represent the end of the Demon Witch series.

The Kickstarter prelaunch page is up now. Please follow that page and you'll get an email from Kickstarter when the campaign launches.

As the above graphic reveals, I'm also rebranding the series with new covers for this Kickstarter. I'm really excited about the new covers! BUT I realize that readers who have books in a series prefer when all the books they have have the same cover. But don't worry, I have a plan for that. *grin*

More as the Kickstarter launches, but in the meantime, please follow the prelaunch page as it helps get Kickstarter to boost the campaign too.

The other big news for this month is the wide release of THE PAYBACK JOB (Dragon Thief 9) and the wide release of the Omnibus from Season One as well as all the individual paperback editions of Season One!

THE PAYBACK JOBA Dragon Thief Story, Book 9
Available Everywhere AUGUST 20TH

So many enemies, so little time… 

Working with their new team, Myra and Christopher have rescued “damsels” in distress all over New York City. Even as their relationship develops and deepens. Though Myra tries not to think too much about the future. In the moment, the work makes her happy, and so does Christopher. And their latest job, saving grieving widows from a scam artist, proves a satisfying challenge. Or at least it did. Until the king drops an emergency into their laps and upends all their plans.

Suddenly the team must drop everything to rescue three missing dragon shifters. With only three days to find them and get them back. And it appears an old enemy orchestrated everything. An enemy looking for payback.

But who? Someone from Myra’s past? Christopher's? Or someone they thwarted together?

With so many adversaries, so many people they’ve managed to anger, Myra and Christopher have a long list of suspects. And very little time to whittle that list down. The lives of the missing shifters and the entire team rest in the balance. They have to uncover the truth or people will die.

And time is running out.

~~

THE DRAGON THIEF SERIES, SEASON ONE
Omnibus Edition
Available Everywhere Now
Ask dragon questions, get dragon answers…

Myra makes one of the biggest mistakes of her life when she allows herself to get sucked into an ill-considered bet to break into the dragon king’s hoard. Pride goes before the fall, as they say, and Myra’s pride urges her on to extraordinary risks to prove her skills. As a thief with magic that makes the thieving arts that much easier, Myra manages the impossible. Wins her bet.

And gets caught in the act by the dragon king’s guard.

Facing the consequences of that failure means doing a job for the dragon king. A job that changes Myra’s life forever. When she meets the dragon king’s son, Christopher. A dragon shifter prince with a soft spot for damsels in distress. Who occasionally smells like sugar cookies. And whose fierce devotion and protective nature draw Myra like a particularly complicated lock.

Myra faces two choices. Stay in the dragon shifter world and keep Christopher in her life. Or leave the danger and return to her ordinary world. But lose Christopher forever. Knowing no matter what she decides, she risks a shattering fall.

~~

Also, if you're a print reader, the paperback editions of all six individual stories in Season One are out now! And if you're feeling fancy, there's a boxed set edition of those six individual paperbacks available at my store. The shipping is a little slower with that, but it'll look nice on the shelf.

DRAGON THIEF
THE CHICAGO JOB
THE POISONS BOOK JOB
THE VAULT JOB
THE FEMME FATALE JOB
THE SCAVENGER JOB

~~

And as a reminder from last month, since my post was a bit short, I have a new Cary Redmond novella out standalone eBook. This was originally in HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND FAIRY DALES, and for print readers, that's still the place to get it. But if you just want to add the eBook to your Cary Redmond collection of books, it's out now!

CARY AT THE CROSSROADSA Cary Redmond Novella
Available Everywhere in eBook now!
Standing at a crossroads at midnight, Cary must face thecold Fae mist and a dangerous enemy…with no one to protect. A complication fora magical Protector whose magic only works while keeping someone safe. BigTrouble awaits Cary at the crossroads, as the lure of Faery calls.


~~
Also out at the end of last month, STORIES FROM THE CAFE, VOLUME ONE is out everywhere now! This collection includes all the short stories from the Cafe from the first six months, including the origin story of the Cafe. This collection is published in eBook, Trade paperback, Large Print paperback, and Hardback editions! Lots of options for reading.
STORIES FROM THE CAFE, VOLUME ONEStories from the Cafe
Available Everywhere now!

Welcome to The Café…

Enter a world where magic mingles with everyday life in thiscafé attached to a bookstore. Where the owner, a witch named Nina, and herfamiliar, a Maine coon named Boo, preside over guests that come in all shapes,sizes, and abilities. From the mundane, to the mystical. The mysterious, to thecriminal. And at least one unexplainable patron who loves her tea.

Stories of love, magic, conflict, revenge, and more. Withcameos from reader favorite characters from Kat Simons’ fiction. This is aworld where there are no rules. Just delicious drinks, a welcoming atmosphere,and the scent of coffee blending with the smell of books.

Come into The Café at KatSimonsBooks. A place to relax. Aplace to find community. A place to settle in and enjoy a good read. And maybewitness a little magic. Don’t miss this first volume of Stories from The Café!
~~

And don't forget to check out all the new stories posting every month at The Cafe! Still regularly publishing those for readers to enjoy for free for two weeks.

~~

As a look ahead to September, the 10th book in the Dragon Thief series will be out at my store! Then that will go wide in October. I'll also have a standalone eBook for the latest Friday's Curious Shop story from last year's HAUNTS AND HOWLS--a very cool, creepy, specifically Friday's fairy story *grin*

Then October will see sales all over my store, the release of the next HAUNTS AND HOWLS collection! I'm very excited about this one. Here there be dragons!!

More on all this next month!

Until then, I hope the end of your summer (or winter) is treating you well!

Happy Reading!

Many things are afoot down my way (good summer stuff, no worries), so this will be a quick update for the month and I’ll go into more details about things and happenings in August. I’m also doing this on an iPad so minimal bells and whistles available LOL

Releases this month include the standalone ebook for Cary at the Crossroads. This novella is also published in HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND FAIRY DALES, so paperback readers, best way to read the story is there. But if you’d just like a Cary Redmond standalone adventure, it’s official out everywhere now. 

  

I also have the first collection of Cafe stories out this month! STORIES FROM THE CAFE, VOLUME ONE releases on July 23rd at KatSimonsBooks and on July 30th everywhere else. It’s available in ebook, trade paperback, large print paperback, and hardcover editions! Lots of choice. 

And in the meantime, new stories are still posting at The Cafe. So don’t forget to check in on the 1st and 15th of the month!

Until next month, Happy Reading!