May Days!

And things are getting hot in my neck of the woods. Actually going outside without a hoodie in tow just in case. At least for the next few days LOL.

So far the Kickstarter is going swimmingly! Thanks everyone. Actually going a little better than I expected since I was sick when I launched it and so couldn't really do all the drum calls and woot announcements. BUT we funded, we reached our first stretch goal, and we're almost to stretch goal two as I write this. So that's fantastic. I'm excited to get Cary's newest book out to readers.

As a writerly aside, I made myself laugh while editing. Twice. And while that could just be me and my sense of humor, it was fun to make myself laugh. I love these people and I love playing in their world.

If you haven't checked out the Kickstarter yet, please do!

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

***

In addition to the Kickstarter this month, I also have the first standalone eBook short story from last year's Haunts and Howls collection. 

FOR WANT OF A CONCERT TICKET is a fun urban fantasy set to the backdrop of a Vegas conference room where witches and insurance adjusters are meeting just doors away from each other. And stuff happens.

It's up for preorder now and will publish on May 27th, so if you'd like this one as a standalone, preorder now so you don't miss the launch!

FOR WANT OF A CONCERT TICKET

Available Everywhere -- Preorder Now!

Out May 27th

A Concert in Vegas, a Witch Conference in Vegas, a Disaster in Vegas…

All Mary wants from her trip to Las Vegas? One concert ticket. The witches conference gives her a perfect excuse to travel. Visiting with the other like-minded witches never disappoints. But the lure of a concert ticket got her to Vegas.

Unfortunately, the magical vortex opening onto a shadow realm in the middle of a conference meeting room upends all her carefully laid plans.

Especially with mundane humans in danger.

As distractions go, Mary gives this one high marks. Closing the breach takes concentration, power, and a little luck. But the vortex isn’t the worst thing to happen. What comes out of the vortex…

That could destroy everything.

Author’s Note: This story is also published in the collection HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND DRAGON TALES.

 ***

For my paperback readers, the best way to get this story is still to just pick up HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND DRAGON TALES in trade paperback or large print editions! You'll get all the stories that way! 

***

Don't forget to check out The Cafe for the cute romance story up for the second half of May! Kara and Eddie at the Cafe is out to read for free until June 1st.

There are also some sales going on at the store to check out! It's my birthday month, so I've got a number of things up for sale that might be of interest!

I'll have one more Kickstarter reminder here next week. The Kickstarter ends on the 28th of May, so if you want an early copy of THE TROUBLE WITH FAMILIES AND GOBLINS, be sure to check that out and back before it ends.

Never fear if you miss it, however. Next month, I'll have details for the preorders for THE TROUBLE WITH FAMILIES AND GOBLINS, which will be available everywhere wide at the end of June/beginning of July. The release date is currently a little wobbly (which is why there's no preorder yet! Sorry about that.) But be sure to check back for the details next month.

And until then, I hope this month is treating you well!

Happy Reading!

Solidly into 2026

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!

~~~

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 TWO

A Cafe Collection

Out Everywhere Now

Welcome back to the Café…

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

Heart-thumping romance. Dangerous mysteries. Otherworldly creatures. Magic and mayhem. Where ordinary humans sip coffee alongside paranormal creatures. Gods hang out reading paperbacks and meddling where they please. The rich scent of coffee blends with the yummy smells of fresh pastries and brand new books.

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

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

~~~

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.

~~~

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

Happy 2025!

Happy New Year! I hope the start of this new year is treating you kindly. I know it is not for some people (thinking about the massive wildfires in California as I write this), and my heart goes out to you. I hope you get support and healing, and the rest of the year is kinder.

For my part, January is its usual crazy start to the new year, but it's mostly good stuff, so I will take that!

This month, I have a new Joan of Kerry story out! And a short story from the last Haunts and Howls collection has released as a standalone story. The third Stories from the Café story is up at The Café now as well!

~~~

JOAN AND THE GOBLINS is available now at my store and will be available at other vendors on March 18th. The preorder for wide purchases is up now, or you can pick the book up at KatSimonsBooks.com now, if you're the impatient type.

Also, for my print readers, I have enough Joan or Kerry stories now to put together a nice print collection, so look for that later in 2025.

JOAN AND THE GOBLINS

A Joan of Kerry Story

Buy Direct | AVAILABLE NOW
All other eBook vendors | PREORDER. OUT March 18th

Bogs, goblins, and a monster more ancient than a dragon…

Joan and her dragon companion Rory find themselves on the hunt. For goblins. A group of annoying goblins who have stolen something they shouldn’t have touched. Something that could raise a monster so deadly and so ancient, even Rory doesn’t have a name for the creature.

Goblins without a king are goblins causing trouble. Goblins trying to be the king cause chaos that could get the entire island of Ireland destroyed. Joan and Rory must stop the would-be king and his companions before it’s too late. Before the deadly monster comes looking for its stolen treasure.

Because even a hero, her dragon, and her legendary sword might not be enough to stop this ancient threat.

~~

Also new this month is the standalone eBook of Black Water Hawthorns, a creepy, weird fairy story from the 2024 Haunts and Howls collection HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND FAIRY DALES. If you're a print reader, I recommend picking up the collection, but if you'd just like one or two of the individual eBook stories from the collection, those are rolling out this year.

Black Water Hawthorns is available wherever eBooks are sold!

BLACK WATER HAWTHORNS

Buy Direct 

All Other eBook Vendors 

Beware the darkest waters, for monsters lurk in their depths…

Ph.D. student Deirdre’s late nights of study have left her exhausted and punch drunk. But she’s so close to the end, so close to finishing her thesis she can taste it. Even the stories of missing people around the Dublin campus can’t deter her. Especially when those tales all have logical explanations. The nervous, jumpy energy on campus worries her a little. But she’s got too much to do to think about the mysteries.

Until a strange dizzy spell bends her world. When she recovers, everything still mostly looks like her college campus in Dublin Ireland. But everything has shifted a bit sideways. Everything looks a little strange. Threatening. And when the red-eyed creature out of myth and legend appears, Deirdre knows she’s either lost it…

Or she is no longer in the ordinary world.

Following a strange creature into a strange realm never ends well for hapless humans. Yet Deirdre finds herself doing just that. Hoping she can find her way home. Before the black water monster lurking among the hawthorns catches her. And traps her forever.

~~

Finally, be sure to check in at THE CAFE at KatSimonsBooks for the latest free reads! From the 15th, Agnes at the Café is available. And a new story will post on February 1st.

For those who'd like to catch up, I've decided (thanks to a recommendation by some fellow publishers) to make the individual stories available for sale from KatSimonsBooks. The full collection of short Café stories will still come out every six months with the previous six months worth of stories. And that collected edition will be available in eBook and Print editions. But if you've missed a story and don't want to wait, or prefer reading on a device of your choice rather than off the blog, or just like a particular story and want your own copy, you can purchase individual eBooks of the stories once they go live in The Café. 

~~~

Next month, be sure to look out for another standalone eBook from last year's Haunts and Howls collection, as well as a new Dragon Thief story! AND news on the upcoming Dragon Thief Kickstarter!

More on all that in February.

Until then, Happy Reading!

Happy July!

We have hit the crest of the year and are on the downward slope now! LOL. Which feels really weird since 2024 has so far felt quite long and equally has flown by. Another year around the sun!

This month, I have a new Percy James book out! Details below. I'm almost to enough Percy James Mysteries that I can put them together in a collection so my paperback readers can pick them up if they like. Look out for that some time in 2025 (I just scared myself typing that).

The other release this month is a standalone eBook from last year's HAUNTS AND HOWLS collection. This one is I Just Ate A Bug. If you want to pick it up as a standalone, I have an explanation for that title in the Thank You at the end of the story <grin> I Just Ate A Bug is out July 30th and available for preorder now!

REPLICAS RISK RUIN
A Percy James Mystery

Buy Direct 
All Other eBook Vendors 

Welcome to the Azur Regent

February brings calm and quiet to the Azur Regent. But for a sleep deprived Percy James, she could do with a little more excitement. Or a night’s sleep. A full night’s sleep would really help. With her baby niece sick and her sister losing her mind over the baby’s first cold, Percy starts to feel like a walking zombie.

She even starts imagining things with one of the few guests staying at the hotel. Percy prides herself on her cheerful work ethic. Seeing suspicious things where none exist proves she needs more than makeup to cover the circles under her eyes.

Fortunately, working at a hotel comes with perks. A night of uninterrupted, undisturbed sleep will put Percy back to rights.

Except nothing at the Azur Regent is ever that simple. Even a night’s sleep.

~~

I JUST ATE A BUG

OUT JULY 30th

Buy Direct 

All Other eBook Vendors 

Fighting an alien invasion requires a good appetite…

I’m an out of work dog walker who never expected to confront the end of the world in my lifetime. Especially not when that end of the world comes in the form of an alien invasion. Who expects that to happen for real, right? But there you have it. Aliens. Invading Earth.

And only a rough band of us humans to defend the entire planet.

With the only weapons we have.

If we can stomach using it.

Author’s Note: This story is also published in the collection HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND JESTERS BELLS.

~~

NEWS AND UPDATES

So! My website seems to be doing most things the way it's supposed to again, but I'm still leery. I'm not prepared to move the whole thing at the moment. But I am going to start changing the back pages so they all direct to the store. You won't have to shop there, of course! But I keep it updated with new releases and back list titles, and I'll start including the universal links on the various book pages (once I figure out how to *grin*).

Just in general, I'd prefer to only have to update one site with all the details. I realized recently I'm very behind on updating another of my websites. Obviously, I need to simplify!

This page will continue to be here! And I will continue to update the main page monthly (or more). But the back pages with all the books in various genres will eventually point to the pages at the store to make life simpler. Again, I don't expect people to only shop at my store (though I'd love it if you wanted to!!). In fact, I'm happy for people to pick my books up from wherever suits them, including libraries!, and just use my website or store to keep up with what's out and reading orders and things.

This change over will take me time and probably won't be visible to visitors to the site until Fall of 2024. Maybe later. Depends on other aspects of the business. But I wanted to give you all a heads up well in advance of the change, so you'll know it's coming.

~~

Speaking of the store, though, I have some new Merchandise up now that's great fun! Consider going over to check it out! And I'm slowly getting the paperbacks up there too, and ensuring the shipping is set up right. So before the end of the year, it'll be a great resource for keeping up to date on all my releases anyway.

AND sometime in 2025, I'll start adding my alter ego Isabo Kelly to the store and all her books. So that's something to look out for, too.

~~

Looking ahead to next month, I have the fourth Dragon Thief book out! And I'll have another standalone eBook for a story from HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND JESTERS BELLS. Both stories are up everywhere for preorder now, so if you're eager to ensure they're in your reader the day of, go check that out now!

Until next month, I hope you're enjoying the season!

Happy Reading!

~Kat

Almost Spring!

Or Autumn if you're in the Southern Hemisphere! I love these in-between seasons, the changing weather, the changing days. And frankly, I'm happy to see the back end of February which was a month! (The ending was better than the beginning, though, so I'll give February that at least.)

So this month, the big news is the Cary Redmond KICKSTARTER!! It launches today (at noon EST) and I'm both terrified and excited and thank you in advance to anyone who can back it.

If you watch the video, there's a bit of a trailer and then you get to see me being a dork on camera LOL. I was a little surprised how awkward that was! And there were many takes over a couple of days just to get that brief bit of video. And I still look all awkward, even after all that practice. So if you want to see me being a dork, be sure to watch that. (hahahaha!)

~~~

Also out this month is the standalone novella, HOURGLASS THROUGH THE CATS EYES, the second Destiny Cats novella. It releases officially on March 19th, which just so happens to be the Spring (or Fall) Equinox, which felt auspicious to me. And it's also right before my wedding anniversary *grin* It's available now for preorder if you don't want to forget!

This was originally published in last falls Haunts and Howls collection, Haunts and Howls and Jesters Bells. If you haven't read any of the Destiny Cat stories and want to give them a try, it's best to start with DESTINY THROUGH THE CATS EYES, which sets up the world. And as a bonus, that one is on sale at my store! *grin*

HOURGLASS THROUGH THE CATS EYES

A Destiny Cats Novella, Book 2

Available March 19th

BUY DIRECT

All Other eBook Vendors

With time slipping away, saving the universe takes bravery…and cats.

Learning to intermix her regular life with her new, destined life as a guardian of universal knowledge, Erica Randal studies hard, trains hard, and manages the two distinctly different parts of her day-to-day. She’s even getting used to her new cohort of cats, though the tension between her and the leader of her cats, Galahad, leaves her edgy. Getting used to the fact that Galahad has a human form, and that she finds that human form…compelling, makes their new living situation fraught.

But even with that, Erica has accepted her new life, her new family. Accepted her fate. Even enjoys the training. What she really craves now, though… Her first chance to retrieve one of the books she and her aunt are fated to protect.

So when the opportunity finally arises, Erica jumps at the chance. A retrieval that leads her and her cats into a dangerous desert adventure. A confrontation with deadly magic. And time running out for all of them…

~~~

That's the big stuff this month! Thanks again to anyone who can back the Kickstarter!

I'll be back next month with preorder links for THE TROUBLE WITH SHIFTERS AND FAE COURTS for my store and then for the wider stores for when the book releases there later in May and June. Best way to get it early, though, is to back the Kickstarter.

And! Next month is the release of THE CHICAGO JOB, the second novella in the Dragon Thief series! That is up for preorder now, so be sure to check it out, and if you like slow burn, dragon shifter romance with a Leverage, heist-type vibe, I hope you'll consider checking out the series.

Until then, thank you again!

And Happy Reading!

 

Two Releases and I'm really bad at post titles...

Every month, I find myself trying for something either descriptive or even a little pithy for the titles of these posts. And every month, I fail miserably. Just so you know. I am bad at titles. And that includes website page titles. LOL.

Anyway, happy June! This month, I have two novella eBook releases.

The first is the standalone release of a Cary Redmond novella, previously published in the A Very Cary Holiday collection. The second is a new short novella in a soft-boiled, amateur sleuth mystery series I've been playing in!

CARY'S BELTANE NIGHT OUT
A Cary Redmond Novella

Out June 13th

BUY DIRECT
All Other EBook Vendors

Beltane, bonfires, magic…and human sacrifice?

When Cary Redmond ends up at a Beltane celebration with her best friend, the witch Angie Jordan, Cary knows she’s in for an interesting night. Trouble swirls in the air right alongside the campfire smell. Magic and danger and people to protect. All in a night’s work for a magical Protector and her powerful best friend. But Cary gets a lot more than she bargains for.

A field full of bespelled pagans trying to throw themselves into a giant bonfire only starts a night of deadly danger. Because inside that fire, the real threat lurks. A threat impossible to destroy.

And if Cary can’t figure out what’s going on in time, a lot of people will burn.

~~

MOVIES MAY MURDER

A Percy James Mystery

Out June 27th

BUY DIRECT

All Other EBook Vendors

Welcome to the Azur Regent

Percy James rarely trudges through a dull day at her job as a front desk clerk of a small boutique hotel on the Upper East Side. New York City draws all kinds, and a lot of the more interesting people end up at the Azur Regent. Percy loves the variety. Always a story to tell. Always something interesting happening.

But sometimes things can get maybe a little too interesting.

Because even small boutique hotels turn up occasional trouble. Like the guest room covered in blood.

Uncovering the culprit and keeping the other guests safe, all while not getting reprimanded by her boss… Percy will count that as a good day at work.

So long as no one dies.

~~

Quick note about paperback prices: Amazon has had to raise their printing costs this month and that has necessitated raising some of my print book prices. This mostly affects the Large Print paperback editions. I have tried to keep the prices as reasonable as possible. And where I can, I've kept the prices the same (this is essentially true across the board with the Trade paperback editions). There might be some hardback price increases as well. Just a heads-up if you notice a price increase.

Next month: I have an sort of experimental thing releasing. I don't want to say too much about it yet until I have it put together, but it's a collection of stories, and there are dragons... More in July!

Until then, enjoy the start of summer, or winter depending on your hemisphere.

First of 2 February Posts

Thanks to a bout of Covid for me and my youngest (sigh) I'm a little behind this month--for the record, we're both doing well, thanks be to vaxxes. He's fully recovered and I'm on the mend. Fingers crossed my oldest and husband don't get sick now. More sighing.

Anyway! Personal note added just so you know that I'll be posting a second update this month. I may have to push out the release of my second story for this month and the novel for next month by about a week each, since I lost a week of work. I will update here as soon as I know.

In the meantime, I did get the Valentine's Day release up and it's out now! Once again, it is not a Valentine's day story or a romance or anything like that. For some reason, I don't lean into publishing my romances on Valentine's Day LOL.

This story is a new Joan of Kerry novella. This time, Joan and Rory face a kraken and adventure ensues. Available in eBook from all vendors as well as available to buy direct from me now!

JOAN AND THE KRAKEN
A Joan of Kerry Story

BUY DIRECT
eBook all other vendors 

When an ancient monster arises from the deep…

Joan and her dragon fly to the rescue. Spotting a kraken wrapped around a spit of land off the west coast of Ireland, Joan knows time is against her. When the sun rises, the sea spray and mists won’t hide the mythical monster from human view, or protect humans from the creature’s deadly tentacles.

Getting the kraken away from human habitation proves challenging. And when Joan spots a grounded fishing boat, which the kraken refuses to release, Joan fears the creature has already claimed its first victim.

Facing a kraken, without getting killed, tests even an experienced hero and her dragon. But that’s the job. A job Joan was born to do.

Just her. Her sword. And her dragon.

~~~

I'll have the release details for the newest Cary Redmond novella, Cary's Leprechaun Troubles, in a week or two! And I'll have an update for the release of REDEMPTION IN STONE in that post.

Thanks for your patience!

Spooky Month Brings Spooky Releases!

Happy Spooky Month!! The paranormal writer and readers month to celebrate all things paranormal and spooky *grin* And to celebrate, I have a spooky collection out!

HAUNTS AND HOWLS WHERE DEMONS DWELL is available in eBook, trade paperback, and large print editions. 

This is another collection of contemporary fantasy, like the collection last year, except with a demon theme. Because...well, demons. There are also a lot of witches, some vampires, a mystery, a now-for-something-a-little-different story, and more! There are also links to the Demon Witch series in two of the five stories, and an Easter egg for the Cary Redmond series in another--though that one might be too subtle to catch. The collection was really fun to put together and I hope readers enjoy!

For Print readers, there's a hang up with the large print edition which is delaying the distribution. Just slow, but the books will be out soon. The trade print edition is still populating through the channels, so check back for those additional links too. The book should be everywhere soon. The universal link that leads to the eBook vendors will also have the print links added in as I get them, too, so you can always just check that link. Thanks!

HAUNTS AND HOWLS WHERE DEMONS DWELL
eBook 
Trade paperback: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indie Bound 
LARGE print paperback: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indie Bound | (last link coming soon!)

Dare to tread where demons prowl…

 

Hidden beneath the surface of the everyday world. Lurking in darkness. Haunting the shadows. Looming just outside the light. The demons call to the unwary, leaving the unsuspecting to fend off doom.

Where demons cavort, heroes arise to battle the encroaching evil. Needing everything they’ve got. Magic. Will. Bravery. And hope for the return of the light.

For lovers of spooky fantasy tales, don’t miss this collection of five original contemporary fantasy stories from bestselling author Kat Simons, including an all new Demon Hunter story.

~~

And speaking of Haunts and Howls, at the end of the month, I have a novella from last year's collection coming out as a stand alone eBook. CARY AT THE HAUNT AND HOWL will be available on October 25th, but is up for preorder now if you don't want to forget about it. This one is Cary on an adventure to a suspect nightclub with Marianne and hijinks ensue.

CARY AT THE HAUNT AND HOWL
eBook 

Lights, Music…Trouble.

When Cary Redmond, Portland’s resident magical Protector, agrees to help one of her best friends spy on a rival nightclub, they find a lot more than overpriced drinks and swirling lights. Hidden in the heat and flash and pounding music lurks a deadly threat driven by dangerous magic.

Just the kind of disaster Cary is uniquely qualified to handle. So long as she can find the source of the trouble before it’s too late.

Because if she can’t solve the mystery in the music fast, people will die. 

Don’t miss this exciting urban fantasy novella from bestselling author Kat Simons, now available as a standalone eBook. Cary at the Haunt and Howl was originally published in HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND GUARDIAN SPELLS.

~~~

Final bit of news. I've given my newsletter subscribers a special Halloween treat this month--a new novella in the Cary Redmond series! This one will only be available to newsletter subscribers, and all new subscribers will get a copy of it (along with a short story from the Tiger Shifters paranormal romance series--a story also only available through the newsletter).

This newsletter exclusive is the story of when Cary meets the Master vampire Ariel--to discuss that whole vampires sucking kitten blood thing. I wasn't sure I'd ever write that story. But when it came out...it was fun to write.

Regular readers of the Cary Redmond series should love this look back into Cary's history, but people who are new to the series, will also be able to enjoy the novella. I've written it as a standalone.

If you're not a current subscriber and would like to join my newsletter for news, updates, and the occasional free read, please join my newsletter now!

Happy Halloween month, everyone!

And until next month, Happy Reading!
~Kat

Autumn is Upon Us!

At least here in the Northern Hemisphere. Down South, I bet you're looking forward to the warming weather!

September marks the start of Spooky Season (yes, I know, some start in August; these holidays, just getting earlier and earlier every year *grin*). And I have some good spooky books coming up!

First this month is the release of the second book in the Demon Witch series! I'm really excited about this one because I got to show a little of Halloween in Greenwich Village and that was fun.

SPIDERWEB WITCH, Book 2 in the Demon Witch series, is out now in eBook, Trade Paperback, and Large Print Editions. Plenty of scary witch stuff and demon stuff abounds. Plus, Angie and Sebastian's relationship continues to get...complicated.

SPIDERWEB WITCH
A Demon Witch Novel, Book 2

eBook 
Paperback: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indie Bound 
Large Print: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indie Bound 

Deception isn’t only for demons…

Faced with returning to the world of demon hunters or fighting an all-out war with them, powerful witch Angie Jordan feels boxed into a corner of lies and deceit. The demon world terrifies her. And if not for the one little trait that allows her to open portals into demon realms, her pursuit of witchcraft would be unquestioned.

Surrounded by people she can’t trust, the only good thing about the whole mess is having Sebastian, the love of her life, by her side again. But their relationship is still best categorized as complicated. And Sebastian has plans of his own. Plans that could upend everything and endanger the entire world.

Enemies on every side force Angie to do things she thought impossible. To survive, she must discover the real extent of her powers. And decide just how far she’s willing to go to save her world and the man she loves.

Because if she can’t conquer her own demons, the real demons will win.

~~~

Next month, I'll have a new contemporary fantasy collection out, which I'm really excited about. Three short stories and two novellas in this spooky, just-in-time-for-Halloween book with all demon-themed stories. HAUNTS AND HOWLS WHERE DEMONS DWELL will be out October 11!

Also the Cary Redmond novella from the first Haunts and Howls collect, Cary at the Haunt and Howl, will release as a standalone story in eBook at the end of October. If you're a print reader, though, you'll be better off picking up the original HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND GUARDIAN SPELLS, as the standalone stories are, currently, only available in eBook.

Also, as a  library reader myself, for those of you with tight wallets, do not forget you should be able to order almost all my books at your local library. You'll likely have to request them, but we've tried to make them available to as many library distribution systems as possible. (And if we've missed some, please let me know so we can try to get the books to those systems!)

Finally, if you want to stay up-to-date on my new releases, sales, excerpts, cover reveals, etc... and have it all delivered to your inbox, please subscribe to my mailing list. It goes out once a month (occasionally more if something exciting comes up like a sale). All new subscribers receive a free, exclusive short story from my Tiger Shifters paranormal romance series. Mate Run is only available through the newsletter.

And next month (October), I'll be giving all current and new subscribers an additional free novella in the Cary Redmond world. This novella will also only be available to newsletter subscribers. When Cary Met Ariel, is one of the Cary origin stories, though I wasn't sure I'd ever write this one. Cary decided to tell me the whole story this summer, so now I have a present for the newsletter. If you subscribe now, you will get this story in the October newsletter. If you subscribe after it goes out to current subscribers, it will be included in the welcome email.

Until next month, enjoy the start of Spooky Season! I hope it brings you some delightful reading.

August Releases and Updates

This month I have two releases out. One is a short story from the HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND GUARDIAN SPELLS collection releasing as a standalone eBook. More on that one below.

The other release is a brand new Demon Witch novella, Howling Dreadful!

Howling Dreadful goes back to the first time Angie met Sebastian. And it's not exactly a typical Meet Cute. This book releases on August 23rd.

HOWLING DREADFUL

A Demon Witch Novella

eBook 

A demon plague is not a fun meet cute…

Angie Jordan, powerful witch and psychic, should be focused on midterms and getting through college. Not hunting demons. That’s a demon hunter’s job. But when the hunter who saved her life as a child returns and asks a favor, Angie can’t refuse.

When that hunter brings her protégé, and he’s gorgeous and has a sexy English accent… Well, that’s just rude.

Angie knows more about the demon realms than any witch should. Stopping those who would unleash a plague on her world is a calling she must answer. Even if that means doing a job she’s not meant to do. She can’t afford the distraction of a sexy accent and gorgeous eyes. Not if she wants to survive.

Failure means the devastation and destruction of everything she holds dear.

But success could cost her her soul.

~~~

If you like reading in chronological order for stories, first of all, I'm sorry! I know I'm writing the short stories and novellas related to the main series out of order. I write them as they come to me, and only when Angie feels the need to tell me about a particular incident in her past.

But if you've been hoarding the stories and want the chronological order, it's Howling Dreadful, Moonlit Strange, then the start of the series proper with BONE LANTERN WITCH. In September, the next novel in the series is out! SPIDERWEB WITCH, out September 13, 2022 continues Angie's struggles with the demon hunter world and her feelings for Sebastian. Check back next month for more details on that, but the preorder is available now!

~~~

The standalone eBook for Going Out of Business: Everything's for Sale is also out this month and available now!

GOING OUT OF BUSINESS: EVERYTHING'S FOR SALE

eBook 

Completing the job isn’t the hard part. The hard part is finding the way home…

Teri collects difficult things. All kinds of things. From many different realms. For a lot of different people. Sometimes dangerous people. Sometimes desperate people. Sometimes they’re both. And sometimes the things they want prove almost impossible to find.

She specializes in those things.

Teri’s good at her job. And she gets paid well for her work. But once on a job, she’s got one way, and only one way, home. Collect the difficult thing. Then find the doorway back to her realm.

If she succeeds, she gets paid. And gets to go home. But if she fails…

She’ll never see the ones she loves again.

~~~

This short story made its first appearance in last year's HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND GUARDIAN SPELLS. And if you enjoy contemporary fantasy like the first HAUNTS AND HOWLS collection, I have a second due out in October.

HAUNTS AND HOWLS WHERE DEMONS DWELL releases October 11, 2022, and obviously has demon themed stories. And if you liked seeing Aidan from the Demon Witch series in action in Howling Dreadful, you'll be happy to know she makes an appearance in one of the upcoming stories in this new collection as well!

~~~

REMINDER: THE TROUBLE WITH BLACK CATS AND DEMONS is still available for FREE for a limited time. Sale will end August 28th, so if you've been wanting to try the Cary Redmond series, now's the time to snap up the first book!

~~~

So lots on the docket for August and into the fall (or spring depending on your hemisphere!). Keep checking in for updates.

Or if you'd rather get updates directly to your email, please join my newsletter (also a link in the sidebar and on the links page of the website). The newsletter is currently out monthly, and there's a free, not-available-anywhere-else short story in my Tiger Shifters paranormal romance world for all subscribers. 

Also, for new and old subscribers, I have a new Cary Redmond short story that will be exclusive to the newsletter available in October or November, depending on the production process (story is written!) So if you're a current reader of the Cary Redmond series, but haven't joined the newsletter, that's the place to go--soon!--to get this story. I'll have more information on that next month, though.

Until next month, Happy Reading!

~ Kat

Standalone Releases and a Surprise for July

News and Updates this month include the release of two stories that were originally published in the Haunts and Howls and Guardian Spells contemporary fantasy collection. And information about my "now for something a little different" coming out next month!

The two releases this month are standalone eBooks for The Unshattered Sword (out June 7th) and Destiny Through the Cats Eyes (out June 28th).

~~

The Unshattered Sword turned out to be a sort of ancient history prequel to the Cary Redmond series--a hint as to where the Protectors started. I hadn't intended that when I started writing, but that's what happened.

THE UNSHATTERED SWORD

Available June 7th
eBook 

The fate of her clan depends on the strength of her sword…

In the land of the Fae, when clans go to war, destruction spreads throughout the realm. To prevent disaster, the clans fight ritual battles through single combatants. One warrior, standing between her people and utter devastation.

Lilia knows that losing the coming fight will mean the end of her people. Everything rests on her shoulders, and her sword. Her ability to stand against the powerful magic of their greatest enemy.

Because if her strength falters…

Her people will die.

~~

Destiny Through the Cats Eyes is a novella that I found so much fun to write, I may have to write more in this series. I'm really interested in seeing what happens between Erica and the cats. *grin*

DESTINY THROUGH THE CATS EYES

Available June 28th
eBook 

Her future holds more danger, magic, and…cats than she anticipated.

When Erica Randal learns her beloved aunt has disappeared, she rushes home, desperate to find her. But when she arrives, everything in her aunt’s house appears normal. Except for the missing cats.

No cats means big trouble.

Instead of the simple explanation Erica hopes for, she discovers her aunt is not who she thought. Magic is real. Deadly enemies gather to overwhelm her world. And a powerful destiny awaits her.

If she’s brave enough to embrace it.

~~

And now for the big July news!

I'm branching out into a (slightly) different genre. Contemporary Romance! It's not the first time I've written romance set in contemporary times, but even my hockey romances as Isabo Kelly have had some level of "woo woo," as a former editor used to call it. Some level of the paranormal or fantasy. My July release is just a straight up, low angst, trope-tastic contemporary romance with an adorkable couple in a slipstream non-Covid reality that I just had to write.

DESIGNED FOR YOU is available for preorder now, and releases on July 12th! I wrote this book while I was "going through some things" and needed something easy and light and fun to write. This is what came out. I love these two together.

If you like Grumpy/Sunshine, Friends-to-Lovers, Boy/Girl Next Door, and Fake Dating, I think you'll enjoy this one. I couldn't squeeze in Only-One-Bed, but I'll try for that next time. *grin*

Because this won't be my only contemporary romance. I have a novella coming out in December, and a third story I'm about a third of the way through writing now. Plus, I think the heroine's best friend in DESIGNED FOR YOU deserves a story, too. 

For those worried, NO I'm not moving away from Paranormal Romance or Urban Fantasy. In fact, the next Demon Witch book is going into edits as we speak for a September release. And the next Haunts and Howls contemporary fantasy collection is coming together for October. I also have a new paranormal romance series I want to launch in early 2023.

So I will not be moving away from my favorite genres! I'm just branching out a little. This branching out will also include some mysteries as well, so look out for more on that in future posts! I'm a genre writing madwoman at the moment, and I'm very excited to bring so many different stories to readers.

Until next month, Happy Reading! 

~Kat

The Trouble with Death and Demon Gods is out!

The first book in the Cary Redmond series, The Trouble with Black Cats and Demons, released on September 13, 2019. That was a Friday the 13th, and we picked that date because it was impossible to resist. 

The main novels in the series cover Cary's seventh year as a Protector, her seventh year test, and the new release is the seventh book in the series. And when we realized there was yet another Friday the 13th conveniently placed in the month when this book was due to release, well, we couldn't resist that either.

THE TROUBLE WITH DEATH AND DEMON GODS, Book 7 in the Cary Redmond series, is out now! It's available in eBook, Trade paperback, and Large Print paperback editions from most booksellers. It can also be obtained through most library systems, but you will probably have to request it from your librarian.

THE TROUBLE WITH DEATH AND DEMON GODS

A Cary Redmond Novel, Book 7

Ebooks |

Trade Print: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indie Bound 

Large Print: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indie Bound 

Trouble’s Last Stand...

Magical Protector Cary Redmond has not been enjoying her test year. Discovering she absorbs magic, figuring out how to release that magic, and dealing with enemies from her past regularly complicates her life. Her seventh year has been overflowing with Trouble. And way too many demons and vampires

Now, with only two months left to go, Cary must face her greatest enemy again. Not to stop him. But to protect him.

Family squabbles suck. And when they involve demons, chances of realm destruction are high. Cary will need all the help she can get in this epic stand against the forces of evil. Because if she can’t stop the demons this time…

Her world will burn.

~~

Originally, I had intended for this to be the last book in the series, at least the main novel series. There was something really symmetrical and pleasing to releasing seven books covering Cary's seventh year as a Protector. And while this book does take Cary to the end of that test...it's probably not going to be the last book.

There are stories I couldn't finish, or only got to hint at, in this book, and I want to explore those storylines. So there will be at least one more novel in the future. And depending on what happens in that book, maybe one more after that. Who knows, there might even been more after that. I love writing in Cary's world and will likely keep on writing in her world until I get tired of it. So this isn't the end for Cary, not by a long shot.

~~

Next month, check back for some stand alone short story releases and some news on something new I have coming in July--a "now for something completely different" announcement. Except, it's not completely different. Just a little different. The completely different is due at the end of the year. *grin*

For early access to news, updates, excerpts, and the occasional free story, don't forget to check out my newsletter (sign up form in the sidebar and also on my links page).

Happy Reading!

~Kat

Happy March!

This month, I have a short novella out that was originally published last fall in the Haunts and Howls and Guardian Spells collection. Tombstone Wizard surprised me a little with the direction it ended up going while I was writing it. But I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out. I really hope readers are too!

It's officially out now as a stand alone in eBook.

TOMBSTONE WIZARD
eBook 

A cold, foggy night in a graveyard.

A mythical monster on the prowl. And only the magic he brought with him to help.

Charles never thought he’d have to challenge his mentor and teacher, a wizard whose powers far exceeded his own. But when his teacher turns to the unthinkable, and bodies start piling up, Charles knows his time has run out.

To end the violence, Charles must best his teacher in a battle of magic, trapped inside a mystical domain. The only way out… Victory.

Or death.

~~

Additionally, I have the first Box Set for the Cary Redmond series releasing at the end of the month, March 29th. If you haven't tried the series, now's the chance to get the first three books at a discounted price! And since book 7 in the series is out in May, it's a great way to catch up.

Next month check back for a novella collection from the Cary Redmond series as well as news on the upcoming release of THE TROUBLE WITH DEATH AND DEMON GODS, Cary Redmond Book 7.

Until then, happy reading!

~Kat

October Brings Cool Weather and Two New Releases!

For a paranormal fantasy fiction lover and all around Halloween fan, this is my favorite time of year! I can't help it. The weather (cooling down here), the fall leaves, the food, the spookiness. All of it.

So I supposed it's pretty cool I have two releases to add for this month. October deserves two releases.

The first I mentioned last month, and it technically released September 28, but why nitpick. Close enough to October to count. Haunts and Howls and Guardian Spells is a short story collection of contemporary fantasy stories, all on the them with a theme of protectors and guardians. Which means that of course there's a new Cary Redmond short story in the anthology--one not published anywhere else!--because she's my most on-the-nose Protector characters. Haunts and Howls and Guardian Spells is out in eBook, Trade paperback, and Large Print editions!

HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND GUARDIAN SPELLS

A Contemporary Fantasy Short Story Collection

EBook 

Trade Print: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indie Bound 

Large Print: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indie Bound 

Between haunts and howls…new guardians rise.

In mystical worlds of deadly magic and danger, the innocent need heroes, guardians, protectors to stand in the way of evil, to keep the world safe and balanced—even if the imperiled never realize trouble looms just out of sight.

Reluctant heroes strive to do whatever they must in these five short stories of contemporary fantasy, where nothing is as it seems. Where wizards and faeries lurk, and shapeshifters prowl. Where magic swells to both hurt and heal. And where destiny calls those fated to save the world.

For readers who love dark tales of mystery and magic, with heroes fated to keep innocent people safe, don’t miss this exciting collection from bestselling author Kat Simons. Including a brand new story in the action-packed urban fantasy Cary Redmond series.

~~~

I enjoyed writing and putting this collection together so much I think I'll make it an annual thing. I even have a few themes for future collections in mind already--demons anyone? So look out for another Haunts and Howls collections next year right around this time!

~~~

My other release this month is another Joan of Kerry short story! (Yes, I'm all about the short stories this month apparently. Quick reads so there's lots of time for other spooky things like...pumpkin spiced everything *grin*) Joan and the Leprechaun is out now!

JOAN AND THE LEPRECHAUN

A Joan of Kerry Story

EBook 

Monsters aren’t her only problem…

For Joan, having a dragon best friend and heroing buddy means dealing with sneaky leprechauns. All the time. Because her dragon’s scales are made of gold. And nothing calls to a leprechaun like gold.

So when one of cunning devils steals off with some of those golden scales, Joan rushes in to retrieve the valuable prize. Only to discover a predicament more complicated and deadly than she expects. A situation that requires a hero.

Joan takes up her sword, once again answering the call to protect innocent lives.

Another quest for a hero and her dragon.

~~~

For the record, it took me ages to get the spelling of leprechaun right consistently. Something about that word makes my brain short circuit, and I kept wanting to add extra letters. LOL. I think I've got it now, though. My Irish husband would be proud.

Check back next month for a brand new Cary Redmond short story, this one a Christmas story! Because of course, Cary can't just have a normal, boring few days around Christmas, could she?

Until next month, I hope this finds you safe and healthy.

Happy Reading!

Kat