Welcome to the fantastical side of romance with magic and myth, ,
Normally, my newsletter goes out on Thursdays, but I didn't want to interrupt any holiday plans for those of you in the US.
HAPPY pre 4th of JULY, even if that's going pantsless in the house reading books while you put in noise cancelling headphones for all the fireworks. It's usually just like any other day for me, but this year the kiddos really want to go see fireworks and have a picnic. The days are so long that it's usually so late before the fireworks go off that I already want to be curled up in bed, but I'll do my best not to shrivel in the sun for the sake of smiles and joy... as long as my Kindle "Steve" can come along with me. haha.
Check out my new Medusa Character art made by yours truly, and some fun indies! Catch you later! xoxo Stevie
Today's Featured Indie is Crystal Dawn with her spicy guys to drool for Zeus retelling with a mercenary twist! These DNA enhanced secret ops men are on a mission to find their perfect mates, and we've got action with plenty of spice!
Last year in June,
I made the scene where Dion sucks the poison out of her using his water magic, and I really hadn't drawn much in years, since high school really, and even then I wouldn't say I was particularly great at art. I just enjoyed it. That was my first attempt at "digital" art.
Come June 2024, you can see the vast improvement of my skills with the digital software, using layers better, more shading and blending. I used photos of my own hands as reference to get the right look of hands. I used references to look at as I drew the snakes, and the eyes, and details. I'm still not particularly great at drawing clothing, or knowing exactly where highlights and shadows are supposed to go, but I did my best, and I'm pretty proud of it. I added a photo from Canva for the background, I'll eventually color my own background, but for now this works.
If you've read Taking Medusa, can you tell what scene the art is from? Hint: after she's wearing the crown of Amphitrite, and wearing a dress made of water magic!
Haven't read Taking Medusa yet, and want to know how she comes to possess the Crown Of Amphitrite? Or perhaps who this Dion person is that helps suck out poison through his water magic?
Taking Medusa is available in Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!
https://books.steviemarie.com/takingmedusa
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/150498806-taking-medusa
My hubs said the neck and jaw area looked "fat", but we're going to ignore him because he doesn't understand that this is the BEST art I've ever done, and I probably just need to get better at shading to define the neck and jaw better. Plus, he knows better and afterwards said that I did a good job when he realized that his one job was to be a support monkey, not an art critic.
I'm super close to wrapping up Breaking Fate's first draft so that it can go off to my editor, but I got distracted with making this art. I'm not sure what it is about June, but I get an art bug and start drawing.
I had a goal of finishing up Breaking Fate by the end of June... It's now July, and I DID reach my word count goal of 90K, but the story isn't quite wrapped up yet. New goal, wrap up the book and have it out to my editor by Friday!
I have this bad habit of going back and editing from the beginning just to make sure I didn't have inconsistencies, or to remember that one part in more detail so I can reference it again where I'm writing, and then I find myself adding scenes, making edits, and overall doing the things I should be doing AFTER completing the final chapters. It takes me longer, but I have a more clean draft by the end that is usually pretty close to a final draft by the time I write that last chapter.
I guess I'll get back to writing now... <3 I can't tell you how anxious and excited I am to share book two. One of two things is going to happen. The plot twist is going to make you squeal or you're going to try to murder me. There are really only two camps for this one.
Chat soon!
xoxo
Stevie
Read Taking Medusa today in Kindle Unlimited: https://books.steviemarie.com/takingmedusa
Support more book by S.M. McCoy by pre-ordering Breaking Fate: https://books.steviemarie.com/breakingfate
Or joining the ARC team: https://forms.gle/HmLDnnsUCeGWbEGV7
Add to your Goodreads shelf: Breaking Fate (Dark Gods Rising, #2) by S.M. McCoy | Goodreads
Pre-order on Breaking Fate on Amazon: https://books.steviemarie.com/breakingfate
Read the award winning Romantasy Taking Medusa and how we got to this point: https://books.steviemarie.com/takingmedusa
Join the ARC TEAM to help launch the book! https://forms.gle/zHWK1kSkSMXUy44g8
Also by me: Do you like Alien Romances?
Check out my Pen Name Sky Robert!
An occupied world. A slave labor mining camp. Two captured Fleet officers. And a frontier god who could no longer stand to watch innocent lives perish.
Book eight of the Rim Chronicles is out now, all standalone romances in a beautifully interconnected universe!!
Haven't read the rest of this amazing series? Start from book one here: Conspiracy
Ahrun Dyem is a stunning and cunning former sex worker who has risen to become her people's champion in the struggle for rights and protection. But the powerful Rimworld Warlords will stop at nothing to prevent her success. Parv Zarinth, a wealthy businessman, has been by her side since their first encounter five years ago, despite his family's disapproval. As the day of the treaty signing approaches, tensions rise and a trap is set that threatens to destroy everything Ahrun has fought for. Read Conspiracy today!
Check out some Indie Authors who are part of this Newsletter!
Together with fellow indie sci-fi fantasy authors we've pooled together to offer this awesome Firefly Fan giveaway. Why? Because we write books with these kinds of feels, and if you like Firefly then you'll probably find a new favorite author among the bunch! The space adventure, the political intrigue, and even the romance! Firefly had it all, and you may not think of the comparison, but my alien romances have these same kinds of feels, the fast paced interstellar adventures with plots to unravel and romance that doesn't close the door when it gets spicy. Check out my Sky Robert's Alien Romances available in Kindle Unlimited. All are standalone complete romances where you can start from any book, but the more books you read, the more you unravel about the universe and how all of our couples fight together to save it! Sky Robert Books:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BNXSFHZ4/allbooks
Author Updates/Writing Progress!
Breaking Fate Progress! 92K / 90,000 word goal
Book Stats: Breaking Fate currently has 19 preorders on Amazon, and 1 pre-order from my author store! The total cost of launching Breaking Fate is currently at $1080 (including 450 set aside for editing costs after I'm done writing.) and around $40 in preorders, makes us at 3.7% of launch costs covered. Goal of 225 preorders by October to cover editing costs, or I will have to rely on the ARC team and volunteer typo-killers to reduce launch costs.
If you would like to help support future books, and this series, you can preorder Breaking Fate on Amazon here: https://books.steviemarie.com/breakingfate
Or grab the pre-order from my Author Store here: https://payhip.com/b/CDfku
Want to read my books for freesies? Join the ARC TEAM!
https://forms.gle/zcXKjfRiEhsUhh5z5
(This form is for people who are not already part of the ARC team, if you were part of Taking Medusa's ARC team, there is no need to reapply, search your emails for "ACTION REQUIRED" and find the ARC opt-in and simply reply "YES" to that email to join the current team. My goal is to have my ARC completed by end of JUNE.)
The best thing about meeting and connecting with this team of book heroes is that this team is who I can rely on to help boost my author morale and keep me motivated to push through imposter syndrome. ARC team readers really are Book Heroes! Thank you for being part of my team!
If you haven't checked out book one, this is a series, these are not standalones, and I highly recommend reading Taking Medusa first, even though I do write my books to be easily read regardless of having read a previous book, there are plot reveals and spoilers if you start with book 2 instead of reading book 1 first.
Convincing you to read Taking Medusa:
Mermaids! Medusa is kidnapped to Atlantis for killing the last daughter of King Triton with her poisonous blood. To be fair.. she was trying to kill her first, and she has no idea how she survived it. She has no memory of being Medusa at all!
This is modern day and she believes that she's a normal mortal after her sister (a gorgon) stole her stone body from the watery depths and reunited her head after stealing it from Athena's shield, conveniently left in a museum instead of guarded by gods.
Enter DION! An Atlantis sentinel, who has some strange connection to her, and TRITON, who is apparently a glutton for falling for nymphs and collecting brides that don't survive long past their marriage vows.
There are mysteries, and romance, and adventure as Medusa (Aless) is lured back into the chaos and schemes of the gods. She's destined to protect them all, but fate has a funny way of trying to repeat itself. Can she keep her head this time around or will she sacrifice herself all over again?
This is a slow-burn romance fantasy adventure, so there is no clapping the cloisters, tickling the tentacles, or fishing for fins in book one, but this is a fated mates romance that will keep you turning the pages, and twisting your expectations of myth and legend. <3 Read Taking Medusa in KU!
https://books.steviemarie.com/takingmedusa
Already read Taking Medusa? Did you know Breaking Fate is available for preorder.... I'll just leave this here... (sparkles) https://books.steviemarie.com/breakingfate
Want to help me reach my next author goal of connecting with book heroes? Read my books for freesies and join my ARC TEAM! https://forms.gle/zcXKjfRiEhsUhh5z5
Chat soon!
xoxo
Stevie
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Disclaimer: sometimes my links have affiliate tags associated with them, this in no way influences who I decide to share with you on my newsletter, nor does it impact your experience with discovering new books. If anything, any affiliate links used help authors, including myself, subsidize the costs associated with staying in business. For instance, using a tagged link helps us see whether someone found our books from our own marketing efforts or through some other means, also with Amazon specifically, that puts a couple extra pennies from grabbing one of our books back to the author from the big company. More of your money goes to the author, and your costs remain the same. My affiliate links have regularly covered the cost of maintaining this newsletter. So, if anything, click on a link for my books, and even if you are not buying my book, feel free to go about your usual Amazon shopping to help support my books through stuff you would normally buy anyways. Stick it to "the man" and support indie authors while you do it. This has been a PSA announcement from yours truly. Sky
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