Living in 2020

October 3, 2020

I bet you were thinking I fell off the ends of the earth. Thankfully, the world is round, so no need to worry about that, right? I wouldn’t be too sure. This is 2020, after all.

(Sounds like an episode of The Twilight Zone, doesn’t it?)

I wish I could give a cool reason why I haven’t put out an update since May, but I have no such excuse. Especially since I’ve been stuck in my home since March (and still am). But it hasn’t been entirely uneventful.

Back in June, I got a message from a friend saying that when she tried to access my web site, it took her to some dubious online pharmacy. I immediately fired up my browser and entered the address, only to find it came up just fine. I thought this extremely odd since my friend is reasonably tech-savvy. So I dug deeper and found out to my horror—the site had been hacked. And the clever suckers made it so that if you entered the address directly, it brought up the site just as you would expect. But if you searched for my site using one of the popular search engines (like GOOGLE!), it redirected you to the malicious page instead of my site. To say I was upset was an understatement.

I immediately fixed the redirect but quickly discovered it was not going to stay fixed. Unfortunately, my webserver was so old, it had about a million ways to break into it. So to prevent further hacks, I needed to upgrade. And upgrading wasn’t a simple matter. So I ended up getting a new server and moving my site over to it. This was not extremely difficult, but it did take quite a bit of time. The one upside to all this is that the new server allowed me to enable site security. So now, when you visit the site, you no longer get a warning about it being insecure.

Thankfully, the hackers haven’t prevented me from making progress on my next novel. I am just about done with the second draft of Assassin of Curses, which puts me a little ahead of schedule. If I can maintain my current pace, I expect to be done with this draft by the end of October. This puts me in a good spot for publishing in early 2021.

That’s assuming Godzilla doesn’t appear in the Pacific next month.

After all, it is 2020.

Coren Hart Series on Amazon!

May 29, 2020

I was wondering what was going on with my Amazon listing for the Coren Hart Chronicles. Even though the Kindle books were linked, neither one of them had a reference to the other. So, I sent a query to Amazon support about it. I found out there was a technical issue on Amazon’s side, which they were able to resolve today.

Now, if you look at the Kindle listing for Thief of Curses or Queen of Curses, they will show the other book in the series. AND, as part of the fix, they created a new series product page where you can review the series and buy both Kindle books at the same time. Check out the new Coren Hart Chronicles page. So now if you don’t already have those books, you can order them together!

Goodreads Giveaway

May 21, 2020

To continue with the promotion of my new book, I am running a Goodreads Giveaway from May 22^nd through May 31^st. The prize is a free Kindle eBook copy of the first book in the Coren Hart series, Thief of Curses. Only a limited number of copies will be given away, so be sure to enter the drawing.

Of course, you have to be a Goodreads member to access the site (but that’s free too.) If you’re not familiar with it, Goodreads is a website for readers to exchange information on the books and the authors they like. They also let authors (like myself) sponsor drawings to promote their books.

To enter the drawing, just click here, sign in or register, and then fill out the required information. When the contest closes, Goodreads will notify you if you won. Easy as pie.

Don’t forget the second book in the Coren Hart series, Queen of Curses is also available in both Kindle ebook and print versions on Amazon.

Good luck on winning!

Queen of Curses Out Today!

May 13, 2020

Just a quick reminder that the second book in the Coren Hart series, Queen of Curses, is now out. Both Kindle ebook and print versions are available on Amazon.

Also, don’t forget that I’m running a Kindle-only FREE special on the first book in the series, Thief of Curses. But it’s only for five days, from May 13 – 17, so be sure to check it out today!

Queen of Curses Out May 13th

May 6, 2020

Book #2 in the Coren Hart series is finally done, and the release date set for May 13^th. I’m so excited I can’t stand it!

The Kindle ebook version is now available for pre-order on Amazon, with the print version made available a little closer to time.

The new book is a direct sequel to the first one and continues the adventures of Coren, Zofie, Risten, and of course, Spraggel as they attempt to prove Zofie’s innocence and help her regain her throne. Check out the Queen of Curses page on my web site for more info.

To celebrate the new book’s release, I’m also going to be running a Kindle-only special on the first book in the series, Thief of Curses, for five days, from May 13 – 17. It’s the perfect chance to pick up the ebook for yourself or a friend. And the best part is the price. During that time it will be free!

So don’t wait. Get over to Amazon and pre-order your copy, and while you’re at it, order the Kindle ebook version of Thief of Curses. I think you’ll like them.

Queen of Curses Update 2

April 19, 2020

The next book in the Coren Hart series is really, really near completion! The cover art for Queen of Curses is now done, and the final draft has been copyedited. All that remains is reviewing the final copy and updating the web site with the new graphics. The new target date for release is May.

And the new book’s graphics are amazing! The folks at MilbArt have done a fantastic job. You never know, I might let the new cover slip out early. Check out my web site next week to see it yourself.

I honestly thought it would be published by now. But as I’m sure has happened in your part of the world, Mr. Corona Virus has turned things upside down. I honestly don’t mind reading thrillers, but it’s something completely different to actually be living it.

Jessie D. Eaker