The Fascist Frame, Bone Guard 5, launches on April 11!
A stolen library, an old adversary, a league of warriors, lying in wait!
I’m so excited for this one! It’s been in the works for over a year, when I had an idea that was way too ambitious, and I thought, well, what if one treasure hunt led to another?
Don’t worry–this book delivers on all the thrills, twists and moral quandaries you’ve come to expect from the internationally best-selling Bone Guard series. The adventure begins with a bomb-sniffing dog at Bone Guard HQ, then flies off to Sardinia, with some dangerous company. How will it end? With a deadly enemy, a Nazi stash, and a betrayal they never expected!
If you haven’t read the series, start with The Mongol’s Coffin–but really, you could jump in anywhere. Every volume has its own roller-coaster race to the finish! Oh–except The Mongol’s Coffin is on sale through April 16 for just 99¢! So, now’s the perfect time–(Unless you want to wait for the audiobook to go on sale in May on Chirp…)
I recently took up Shepherd.com on their offer to make a list of the Best Books Weaving Adventure and History–and yes, one of those titles is non-fiction–because history itself is often an adventure!
This list includes a few of my influences, and a new favorite author in the sub-genre of archaeological thrillers. If you’re not reading Andrew Clawson, check out his work!
Shepherd is a book discovery engine, designed to help readers find books they will love, by way of curated lists of titles with some intriguing similarity. Most of these lists are put together by authors like me, and they help to place our books in context. You can browse by topic and by book, to see what shows up that you might enjoy! Give it a try, and let me know what you think.
As for my own work, The Fascist Frame (Bone Guard 5) comes out in about a week! So you can still get in on the pre-order. If you’re not subscribing to Tomb Reader, my thriller specialty group, now’s a good time. It’s the best way to find out about some upcoming discounts and other goodies! You’ll get three free stories if you join through StoryOrigin (no, you don’t need an account), and there’s a link to a fourth story in your first email.
Also, Honor, the first issue of Matt Buchman’s Thrill Ride Magazine is out now! If you’ve read it, we’d love to have your reviews. If not, now’s your chance!
If you’re looking for a fun way to help a bunch of authors, and get a chance to win oodles of mystery and thriller novels, including mine, then here’s the post for you!
Generally, I do one of these every couple of months–it’s a chance to share my stuff with other authors’ audiences, bring some more people on board with the Tomb Reader (my thriller newsletter) and get some more followers on Bookbub (which is super helpful to me, because it can unlock some other stuff that Bookbub has for authors).
If you’re not familiar with Bookbub, it’s a recommendation engine that will send you special deals (like free and discounted books) in the genres or by the authors that you choose. Giveaways like this one can introduce you to a bunch of new authors at the same time!
And here’s another one...Bookbub Superfans! I’m actually participating in three group promotions right now–but you can enter them all, and triple your chances to win ebooks, print books, and kindle devices!
And here’s the last one! This deal is where you print readers might perk up your ears!
and a chance to read Scott’s short story collection, free!
Every once in a while, I hear about a book concept that just sounds like too much fun! Check it out…
Raven’s a thief who just swallowed a dragon. A small one, sure, but now his arms are growing scales, the local wildlife is acting up, and his snarky AI familiar is no help whatsoever.
Raven’s best friend Aik is a guardsman carrying a torch for the thief. A pickpocket and a guard? Never going to happen. And Aik’s ex-fiancé Silya, an initiate priestess in the midst of a magical crisis, hates Raven with the heat of a thousand suns.
This unlikely team must work together to face strange beasts, alien artifacts, and a world-altering threat. If they don’t figure out what to do soon, it might just be the end of everything. Things are about to get messy.
The Dragon Eater starts a whole new series! so when you love it, you’ll know there’s more coming!
The Tharassas Cycle is a four book sci-fantasy series set on the recently colonized world of Tharassas. When humans first arrived on planet, they thought they were alone until the hencha mind made itself known. But now a new threat has arisen to challenge both humankind and their new allies on this alien world.
Aaannnnd! There’s a freebie if you buy the book–here it is straight from the author’s mouth:
I’m giving away the prequel, Tales From Tharassas, with all preorders – it contains The Last Run, The Emp Test, and a brand new short story the Fallen Angel. Just order the book and email me a proof of purchase at scott@jscottcoatsworth.com, and I’ll send you the book on release day (March 16th). This offer is good for a week after the launch, so if you grab The Dragon Eater today, you can still get your freebie!
Read on for an excerpt!
Spin’s voice echoed in his ear. “This is a bad idea, boss.”
“Shush,” Raven whispered to his familiar.
He needed to concentrate. Cheek and jowl against the smooth cobblestones, he held his breath and prayed to the gods that no one had seen him duck under the sea master’s ornate carriage. The setting sun cast long shadows from a pair of boots so close to his face that the dust and leather made him want to sneeze. Their owner was deep in conversation with the sea master, the hem of her fine mur silk trousers barely visible. The two women’s voices were hushed, and he could only make out the occasional word.
Raven rubbed the old burn scar on his cheek absently, wishing they would go away.
“Seriously, boss. I’m not from this world, and even I know it’s a bad idea to steal from the sea master.”
Though only he could hear Spin’s voice, Raven wished the little silver ay-eye would just shut up.
The hencha cloth-wrapped package in the carriage above was calling to him. He’d wanted it since he’d first seen it through the open door. No, needed it. Like he needed air, even though he had no idea what was inside. He scratched the back of his hand hard to distract himself from its disturbing pull.
An inthym popped its head out of the sewer grate in front of him, sniffing the air. Raven glared at the little white rodent, willing it to go away. Instead, the cursed thing nibbled at his nose.
Raven sneezed, then covered his mouth. He held his breath, staring at the boots. Don’t let them hear me.
A shiny silver feeler poked out of his shirt pocket, emitting a golden glow that illuminated the cobblestones underneath him. “Boss, you all right?” Spin’s whisper had that sarcastic edge he often used when he was annoyed. “Your heart rate is elevated.”
“Be. Quiet.” Raven gritted his teeth. Spin had the worst sense of timing.
The woman — one of the guard, maybe? — and the sea master stepped away, their voices fading into the distance.
Raven said a quick prayer of thanks to Jor’Oss, the goddess of wild luck, and flicked the inthym back into the sewer. “Shoo!”
He popped his head out from under the carriage to take a quick look around. There was no one between him and the squat gray Sea Guild headquarters. It was time. Grab it and go. He reached into the luxurious carriage — a host of mur beetles must have spent years spinning all the red silk that lined the interior — and snagged the package. He hoped it was the treasury payment for the week. If so, it should hold enough coin to feed an orphanage for a month, and he knew just the one. “Got it.”
“Good. Now get us out of here.”
A strange tingling surged through his hand. Raven frowned.
Must have pinched a nerve or something.
Ignoring it, he stuck the package under his arm, slipped around the carriage, and set off down Gullton’s main thoroughfare. He walked as casually as he could, hoping no one would notice the missing package until he was long gone.
“We clear?”
Spin’s feeler blinked red. “No. Run! They’ve seen you.”
Did you miss the in-person launch event? That’s okay–Elaine will be reading, alongside 5 other awesome authors, on Friday, March 3 at noon Eastern time. This event is free to attend, but you do have to register by clicking on the link below! Hope to see you there!
Yes, you read that right! The first three Bone Guard books will be on sale for a week for less than a dollar. All the action, adventure, and historical excitement, for one super low price! I’m celebrating the pre-order for book 5, the Fascist Frame! and just generally getting the word out about these books because I love them and want to write many more.
This is the found family thriller you’ve been looking for–if you have. Or it’s just a twisty adventure featuring high-speed races, international adversaries, and fantastic settings like the Dead Cities of Syria, a sunken U-boat, or the steppes of Mongolia! This collection includes The Mongol’s Coffin, The Nazi Skull, and The Assassin’s Throne!
Share the deal with anyone you know who might enjoy archaeological adventures! And thanks for joining the adventure!
I’m so excited for this launch! Those of you who’ve been around a while will know I don’t write much short fiction, so I’d forgotten how much fun it could be! The same knowledge-inspired approach had me researching everything from the Air Force weather service to the AN-225 to close-up magic for my ThrillRide stories! You could even appear in one!
ThrillRide launches today on Kickstarter, and the project will be open for your support through February 21–but don’t wait too long, some of the most fun rewards (like being a named villain in one of the stories) are limited!
How excited am I? well, so excited I wrote a story for every issue…my story in issue #1 is a Bone Guard adventure, featuring Grant Casey in his early days. Each of the other stories will feature a new protagonist, and I’ve already got some fun ideas about how to bring them together later on!
So if you’re someone who loves adventure and action in your fiction, join us today! Please share the Kickstarter on social media or share this post! Thanks for all of your support!
I’ve got a lot of things going on in the month of December! Aside from the family holiday stuff I’m sure many of you are also balancing, I’m finishing the fifth volume of my Bone Guard archaeological thriller series–like, today! These novels include the same in-depth research, action plots, character development and world-building you’ve enjoyed from my historical fantasy.
To celebrate, I’ve teamed up with a bunch of other authors who are offering free thriller reads this month, mostly as limited deals, mostly if you’re willing to join our mailing lists or follow us on Bookbub (offer open through 12/14). But hey, free books, when you may have limited funds. And maybe you’ll discover your next favorite author!
Speaking of that newsletter…I’ve been having a lot of fun with it! My thriller-exclusive newsletter is called Tomb Reader (you get 3 free stories, plus a bonus one in the first email). This month, it includes an excerpt from Bone Guard 5.
And I’m working with a fantastic cover artist to give these books a whole new look! There’s also a super fun new homepage in the works (especially if you’re a Gooney fan, you’ll want to check this out).
So, click on the photos and browse for free adventure, mystery and intrigue! And may you enjoy this festive season!
Action, Adventure and Intrigue, through December 26th!
The mystery of the missing “y” through December 15!
Skystrike: Wings of Justice, with cover art by Kim Herbst
Today’s the launch date for my interactive superhero fiction, Skystrike: Wings of Justice! At over 330,000 words long (!!) this is my longest work of fiction. But…you might want to play through a few times to read more of them. Remember the Choose Your Own Adventure novels from way back? It’s like that–only the computer remembers your choices, and the choices you make affect the work you read.
One of the most fun parts for me was developing four different origin stories–then playing out those choices through the rest of the game. I answered some interview questions for the Choice of Games blog about my process, so if you want to know what was going on in my head, you might want to read that!
Head over to the official launch page to find out all the details about the game–which is 25% off for the launch period! Or go straight to Steam, Apple, Googleplay, or wherever you purchase online games, and get playing.
Thanks for helping me celebrate this new medium–let me know what you think!
Hello, friends and fans! It’s been a little while, hasn’t it? Sorry about that! I have not been idle, I assure you (I’ve written at least two manuscripts unlikely to see the light of day, fled the path of a hurricane, into the aftermath of a fire–and wrote my first game!–which is what brings me here today.
Skystrike: Wings of Justice is an interactive novel in which *you* are the hero. The game launches officially on November 10th, from Choice of Games, but it already has a page on Steam, where the preview is now available so you can play the first chapters and get excited for the rest. There will also be a live playthrough on Friday, October 7th. I’ll be there, hanging out in the chat and ready to answer your questions.
Yes, this is a bit of a departure from historical fantasy, or even archaeological thrillers. Everybody picked up something new during the pandemic, right? This was mine.
What to expect: Remember those choose-your-own-adventure novels? Or not…in this interactive fiction, you take on the role of Skystrike, a superhero who’s come home to roost. You select your origin story–spooky museum, meteor crash, biochemical laboratory, or Victorian mansion–and choose how to confront the RatKing, a sinister newcomer threatening your home town. It’s a new adventure every time! Check it out on Steam and add it to your wishlist! (cover art by Kim Herbst)
E. C. Ambrose 