Well that went fast!

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 WITCH

Demon Witch, Book Five

Releases December 3rd

PURCHASE LINKS

The Apocalypse Witch… A disaster? A warning? Or a destiny…

With this new cursed power dangling a knife over her head and pinning a target to her back, witch Angie Jordan faces one last trial to find answers. Before the dark magic kills her. A journey that tests her control. Strains her bond with Sebastian. And reveals secrets that could devastate her realm. A quest that pits her and Sebastian against an enemy unlike 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 their enemy. 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 acclaimed Demon 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. Tread cautiously. For here there be dragons…

In this latest Haunts and Howls collection of seven new contemporary fantasy stories, bestselling author Kat Simons delivers dragon tales from the quiet to 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.

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

Holidays are in full swing now!

There are so many of them this time of year, it's just delightful. All my favorites. For me, it's Winter Solstice, Halloween, Christmas, New Years, even American Thanksgiving because of the food. (Though, to be fair, I don't eat turkey so our food is a little different.)

And beyond the food, are the holiday books! For a paranormal/fantasy author Halloween is the season, of course. But I don't want to leave the others out. And so Cary Redmond gets a Christmas story--mixing my love of spooky with my love of all things Winter holidays.

CARY HOLIDAYS
A Cary Redmond Short Story
eBook 

A quiet holiday shouldn’t be too much to ask…
 
Unless of course your name is Cary Redmond and your job title is Magical Protector. But in the days leading up to Christmas, in her second year as a Protector, Cary might just get the quiet time off she hopes for.

Nothing to do but watch Christmas movies, drink Christmas coffee, maybe even decorate for the season. No shapeshifter trouble. No vampires up to no good. No demons popping in to threaten death. Just peace and quiet. Lots and lots of quiet.

Until, of course, her new Christmas tree reveals a surprising complication...

That is anything but peaceful.

~~~

Coming in December is another Cary Redmond novella. In Cary and Dragons and Goblins, Cary meets a dragon and his hero--Joan and Rory from the Joan of Kerry series--and mayhem ensues. Of course. This novella leads into book 6 in the main series, The Trouble with Wizards and Old Enemies, which is out in January 2022! 

 

For those of you who do NOT like spoilers, please don't read next months release until after you've read book 5 in the series, The Trouble with Magic and Faery Curses. There are spoilers throughout Cary and Dragons and Goblins for book 5--starting on the first page!--so again, if you are someone who hates spoilers, wait on this book!

I'll post that warning again next month, too.

And don't forget to look out for book 6 in the Cary Redmond series, coming out in January! Things in Cary's world are getting...complicated. Well, more complicated than they already are.

Until then, enjoy the holidays you celebrate. Stay safe and take care of yourself! And enjoy a good read.

Happy Reading!

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

August Heat Brings a New Release

Well, okay, it's only hot on this side of the world. For those of you in the southern hemisphere, I hope the winter is treating you well!

This month, I have a new release that starts a new series! This series goes back in time to the mysterious past of witch Angela "Angie" Jordan, one of Cary Redmond's best friends. There are demons in Angie history, things she never talks about. Well, now you can see what she's been keeping so close to her chest. 

MOONLIT STRANGE is the short story that launches the series and is essentially a prequel to the first book in the series. That book, BONE LANTERN WITCH, will be out in September 2021.

MOONLIT STRANGE, A Demon Witch Short Story
eBook |

She’s a witch in a demon hunter’s world…

Angela Jordan is a witch with a very particular set of skills. One of those skills has her embroiled in the demon hunter world. Not her calling. But the hunt still lures her in. Confronting the kinds of nightmares most humans never have to face, Angie accepts the work though she wouldn’t go so far as to say she enjoys it. Still, demon hunting keeps her close to the man she loves. And saving innocent lives is worth the danger.

But ensuring demons aren’t loosed on the human realm comes at a cost. One that might be too high for Angie to pay.

~~~

For fans of the Cary Redmond series, don't worry, there's more Cary to come, including a Christmas short story and a novella that leads into Book 6 in the series. Book 6 will be out in January 2022. Check back for more details on that release and the other Cary stories.

In the meantime, I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe, that health and good reading are filling your days.

Happy Reading!

~Kat

A Cary Redmond Novella and a New Series

Middle of the summer--or winter depending on your hemisphere--and there's more reading to be had. The latest Cary Redmond story is out now! This is a bit of a love letter to Hawaii for me. I went to college at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, and been back to visit many times over the years. I still get asked why I moved away. Sometimes, that question is hard to answer.

So I wrote a story set on the islands, well set on Oahu. And of course, Cary can't just take a holiday with her best friends without something going wrong.

CARY GOES TO HAWAII

(A Cary Redmond Short Story)
Ebook 

All vacations are not created equal…

And as far as magical Protector Cary Redmond is concerned, going to Hawaii with her best friends ranks at the top of the list. No work, no magical Protector business, no jumping between good guys and bad guys to keep good guys safe. For two whole weeks. She gets to enjoy sun, sea, and tropical breezes without any paranormal chaos. Couldn’t get any better than that.

Except Cary’s life bends toward chaos, no matter what she tries. And when paranormal danger rears its head, Cary has to answer the call. Even if it means facing one of her greatest fears.

Because her best friend’s future is on the line.

~~~

Next month I have a short story that starts a new series! A spinoff of the Cary Redmond series, featuring the witch Angie Jordan. This series goes back in time, to Angie's mysterious past, and how she ended up knowing so many demon hunters.

MOONLIT STRANGE is out August 17. And the first novel in the series is coming in September.

Until next month, stay safe out there, everyone!

Happy Reading

~Kat

March Release and News

And now for something a little different...

I have a new short story out this month. Joan of Kerry: Joan and the Abhartach, is out now! This is the first of a few short stories I have with this character, so if you enjoy Joan and her adventures, there will be more. This is a strictly urban fantasy/mythic fantasy story, though. No romance at all. Just so you're forewarned.

JOAN OF KERRY: Joan and the Abhartach

Joan of Kerry, Book One

EBook 

Ancient monsters beware…

Joan has spent her life facing down the monsters that no one else can defeat. But the rise of dark, hungry beings in the fields of Ireland brings portents of something more ancient and deadly. A monster out of myth. And a plague of death that could destroy everything in its wake.

Joan is all that stands between this rising evil and her home. Just her. Her sword. And her one true ally.

All in a night’s work, for a hero and her dragon.

As a heads up, Joan appears in an upcoming Cary Redmond novella, which is currently scheduled (pending potential changes) for December 2021. That Cary Redmond novella also ties more directly into the main series than most of the shorter fiction and leads into Book 6 in the Cary Redmond series--currently scheduled for January 2022. More on that and all the crossover stuff to come!

And speaking of  crossovers...

COVER REVEAL!

I have a new paranormal romance releasing soon! This is a romance, and is a crossover of the Cary Redmond world and the Tiger Shifters world. ROMANCING HER LEOPARD is out May 11, 2021, and will be released in ebook, print, and large print editions.

I thoroughly enjoyed writing this book and I hope you'll enjoy reading it too!

For more on this release as well as other upcoming releases and news, check back next month. In the meantime, I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe. And continuing to read good books.

Happy Reading!

Kat