Sexy Fantasy
THE BEAST IS UNLEASHED! đ From Royal Guard Publishing, narrated by Daryl Mayfield and Jess Trepanier.
Titan Mage Rising ended up being one of my favorites in the entire series, solely for the ways in which it surprised me as I was writing it, so I’m eager to see what y’all think of the audiobook version! Enjoy! đ
I would have posted this last night when it was announced, but Jacob was harassing me to get on the couch so we could watch Resident Evil: Death Island which, of course, is Very Important Priority Cinema.
But now that the zombies are out of the way:
Last night, out of the blue, one of my author friends messaged me to say “Congratulations to Jackson Tjota!”Â
Given the time of year, I figured this would be an indication that I should look for the Dragon Award nominees list, and surely enough …
That said, a huge, enormous, Titan Chimera Godbuster-sized thanks to everyone who nominated Jackson for this award. I honestly didn’t expect my little awards push to go anywhere, but the fact that so many readers and fellow authors joined in and thought it worth the nomination is incredibly flattering.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, a huge, enormous, Titan Chimera Godbuster-sized congratsgoes to Jackson for his nomination. The Titan Mage series was my first runaway hit, and I owe no small part of its success to his evocative covers. Moreover, he’s been a great artist to work with, and has a talent for capturing the spirit of my novels and characters in visual form.
All this to say, he absolutely deserves this nomination – and every vote you can send his way.
You can view the other nominees and register to vote here.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Dragon Awards, they’re a set of sci-fi/fantasy/geek awards bestowed by Dragon Con, which is one of the largest conventions on the US East Coast. (Seriously, on Dragon Con weekend, 65,000+ nerds all pack into one 5-hotel area of Atlanta, GA for 5 days of sheer insane geekery. It’s one of the most delightful spectacles a geek can experience.)
The Dragon Awards themselves are significant among sci-fi/fantasy awards, though, because unlike others of similar scale, they’re entirely fan-chosen, and anyone can vote. (Which makes the nomination that much more flattering. đ)
But regardless of who you end up voting for, thanks so much for nominating Titan Mage Apocalypse.
I continually find myself surprised and delighted by the number of people who have enjoyed the Titan Mage series, and to have a piece of it nominated for a fan-chosen award is an enormous honor. đ
Now that Titan Mage Apocalypse is out, I know yâall are saying âSURELY THIS CANâT BE THE END OF TITAN MAGE!â
Donât worry; itâs 100% not over. My husband and I structured the Titan Mage universe so that it could be explored infinitely if the first series took off â which, thanks to you awesome readers, it absolutely did. Which means youâll be getting Titan Mage as long as people are still reading it.
When, you ask?
Well, that is an interesting question. See, my initial plan was to write Titan Mage Series 2 and release it starting in December. As mentioned in my previous Whatâs Next for Titan Mage? post, it will follow the crew of the Indigo Gryphon, elaborating on the adventures that are hinted at over the course of Titan Mage Series 1; once completed, it would then lead into Series 3, which would combine both casts and cover a new threat to Haven thatâs hinted at in Titan Mage Apocalypse.
However, a complication has come up in the form of âA TRADITIONAL PUBLISHER IS INTERESTED IN TITAN MAGE SERIES 2!â đČ
Itâs not a done deal yet; I have to submit my book proposal (which is mostly done) and the first few chapters (which Iâm going to write now that Apocalypse is finished), and then there will be some back and forth between me and the publisher about changes theyâll want before they formally decide whether to pick it up or not.
If they donât pick it up, no prob, Iâll just self-publish like I did with Series 1.
If they do pick it up, though, the publishing schedule gets slightly complicated. Traditional publishing moves at a much slower pace than indie publishing, which means youâll be getting one Series 2 book a year (provided that it sells well enough to continue). And given that Iâd planned for the Indigo Gryphonâs story to overlap Lockeâs and lead into Series 3 ⊠you can see how that affects the timeline.
However, I do have plans!
While the publisher will get right of first refusal for my future novels, I know there are some story types that are unviable for trad publishing but thrive in indie, and there are a number of things I can do with this. Iâve been tossing around concepts for several other series set in the Titan Mage universe: a harem slice-of-life series that follows Locke and the Blue Heron ladies right after [a spoiler], an action-adventure series about Lola and her Indexers, a more traditional romance series that tells spicy love stories from all over Haven, a sword-and-sorcery style series set soon after the fall of the Precursors, the list goes on! Iâve also tossed around the idea of writing a monster girl harem series set inside the Monster Punk Horizon world from my H.P. Holo pen name.
Long story short, youâll still be getting new stuff from me in addition to the trad published novels, should Series 2 be picked up, albeit at the slower pace of 2-3 novels a year rather than 4.
But I wonât really know what my release schedule looks like until the proposal process is done, and trad publishing moves at its own pace.
So what am I going to do in the meantime?
Welp, first Iâm going to take a dang nap. đ Iâve been writing nonstop (in addition to dealing with some family medical stuff) since the release of Titan Mage Ruin and I am ded. A well-earned vacation is in order, and I plan on spending some time chilling out, catching up on my reading, video games, and Gunpla, and generally recharging so I can jump into my next project at full capacity.
Because I am bad at vacations, Iâll very likely spend that time doodling on a Titan Mage novella to follow The Hot Springs Episode (since Sloan and Peth didnât appear in that one). Once I get back to work, the same aforementioned publisher has also asked me to contribute a Titan Mage short story to an upcoming anthology, so thatâs my next priority. After that, my H.P. Holo readers have been clamoring for the next book in the Monster Punk Horizon series, so MPH #4 will be my next official project. Hopefully, by the time that novel is done, the book proposal process will be finished and Iâll have a better idea of what the rest of my production schedule will look like.
Until then, the best ways to stay updated on what Iâm up to are 1) my Patreon, 2) my newsletter, 3) my Twitter, and 4) my Facebook Page!
Whew, it’s been a ride, y’all! đ But now, finally, comes the epic conclusion of (the first arc of*) the Titan Mage series.
*Of course there’s more to come! I love writing these characters far too much to give it up. đ More on that in an upcoming post.
Titan Mage is primarily a series about hot people doing cool things, but it’s just as much a love letter to all things mecha, and I think mecha fans in particular are going to get a huge kick out of this conclusion. At the very least, I had an enormous amount of fun writing it, and trying to homage all the bonkers things I love about mecha anime.
Here’s hoping you enjoy it just as much! âșïž
***
A world-ending deity? An ancient superweapon? A fight for the future of Haven? Only Harperâs Harriers can save the day!
When Locke came to the world of Haven, he didnât know heâd be called upon to save it one dayâbut with his god-tier magic, his giant mech called a Titan, and his crew of hot, capable women, heâs the best man for the job.
Especially now that his crew includes the Precursor space witch Peth, whose memories of what destroyed her civilization a thousand years ago have come rushing back. Now that same destroyer is about to break free from its prison within the Crystal Moon. To defeat it, theyâll have to find and activate an ancient Precursor superweapon.
But reaching the superweapon wonât be easy, for Locke must now lead the Harperâs Harriers to the one place no one from Haven has gone in over a thousand years:
Outer space.
Has Locke mastered his Titan enough to face his greatest challenge yet? Will his crew, their Titans, and all their epic upgrades be enough to save the world?
He may not know how his story on Haven will end, but between his harem of badass women and the coming battle with a destroyer god, one thingâs for sure:
Whatever comes next, heâs going to go out with a bang.
WARNING: Titan Mage Apocalypse is a fun fantasy adventure containing steam both punk and smutty: captivating airship captains, alluring engineers, provocative mech pilots, titillating catgirls, and sensual space witches. (So donât read it and then complain about the spice. Yâall know exactly what youâre getting into.)
Exciting news this week! đ The Titan Mage series has gone international with the release of Titanmagier in German, published by Chris Kennedy Publishing International! đ©đȘ
***
Magische KrÀfte? Seine eigene Kampfmaschine? Ein ganzes Luftschiff voller wunderschöner Frauen, die verzweifelt nach seinen Genen verlangen? Ja, bitte!
Von einem betrunkenen Autofahrer gelÀhmt, von seinem Job entlassen und in einer traurigen, stagnierenden Stadt mitten im Nirgendwo festsitzend, erlebte Joseph Locke den schlimmsten Tag seines Lebens.
Und dann starb er.
Aber wenn man bedenkt, dass er mit einem brandneuen Körper im Cockpit eines knallharten Steampunk-Roboters auf einem Luftschiff mit lauter heiĂen MĂ€dels aufwacht, ist sein nĂ€chstes Leben vielleicht gar nicht so schlecht. Vor allem, als er erfĂ€hrt, dass er ein Void-Magier ist – der seltenste und mĂ€chtigste aller Magier auf der Welt Haven. Und seine Schiffskameraden wollen ihm helfen, mehr daraus zu machen.
Als ob das nicht genug wĂ€re, bieten sie Locke einen Job als Pilot einer ihrer Kampfmaschinen an, die sie Titanen nennen. In der Zwischenzeit muss sich Locke in dieser aufregenden Welt zurechtfinden und sich gleichzeitig mit seiner neuen – und gefĂ€hrlichen – Aufgabe auseinandersetzen. Wird er in der Lage sein, seinen Titan zu beherrschen? Wie kann er die Maschine am besten aufrĂŒsten, um so knallhart wie möglich zu werden? Warum fĂ€llt ein seltsamer, parasitĂ€rer Schlamm vom Himmel? Und was hat es mit dem Geist einer Weltraumhexe auf sich, der in seinem Titan lebt – und in seinem Kopf?
WARNUNG: Titanmagier ist ein unterhaltsames Fantasy-Abenteuer, das sowohl punkige als auch schmutzige Elemente enthĂ€lt: schlĂŒpfrige, wurstbesessene Mechaniker, lĂŒsterne LuftschiffkapitĂ€ne, lĂŒsterne Mecha-Piloten und dazu passende freche Sprache. (Lest es also nicht und beschwert euch dann ĂŒber die WĂŒrze. Ihr wisst genau, worauf ihr euch einlasst.)
BEHOLD! đ From Royal Guard Publishing, narrated by Daryl Mayfield and Jess Trepanier.
When I smashed 100,000+ words of writing into 3 months on Titan Mage Dragon, I said NEVER AGAIN.
And then promptly did it again. đ
*I find that I can churn out a solid 40,000 words a month, and so with Titan Mage‘s 3-month release schedule, I budget two months of writing time for 80,000 word books, allowing for one month of editing/packaging since I do all my own stunts (except for illustration; that’s Jackson Tjota).
That … did not happen. But on the upside, you have another 100,000+ words of Titan Mage goodness to look forward to, this time with some wack twists that surprised even me as I was writing it! đź
***
Sinister cultists? A catgirl kidnapping? An elite enemy Titan? Sounds like a job for Harperâs Harriers!
Locke has finally adjusted to life on the fantastical world of Havenâbut with his hot new body, magic powers, and giant mech called a Titan, how could he not? Especially since he flies on a ship full of gorgeous women who call him captain (both of his airship ⊠and in their beds).
Soon heâll have to put all those resources to use because Peth, the incorporeal space witch trapped inside his Titan, has experienced a dark premonition about the Crystal Moonâand in Lockeâs experience, âweird moon stuffâ is just another way to spell trouble.
Which proves prescient when moon cultists show up alongside a terrifyingly advanced Titan wielding all four magical elements. They assault the Harriersâ airship and kidnap one of his crewâthe shy catgirl Sloan, who has a dark history with these cultists.
Locke is determined not to let any harm come to her, and the Harperâs Harriers surge into action. But why do the cultists want Sloan in the first place? How do these events connect to the ever-darkening shadow on the Crystal Moon? And are their Titans powerful enough to take on this new, mysterious foe?
WARNING: Titan Mage Rising is a fun fantasy adventure containing steam both punk and smutty: sensuous airship captains, naughty engineers, shameless mech pilots, mischievous catgirls, and salacious space witches. (So donât read it and then complain about the spice. Yâall know exactly what youâre getting into.)
Levi Walker was just a regular college student until a hilariously uncomfortable encounter with his roommate led him to storm out of his dormâstraight into the path of a delivery truck.
And well, all anime fans know what happens when you meet Truck-kun.
Now he’s been reincarnated with magical powers at Otherworld Academy in the land of Taryl, where he and other magic-wielding students from other dimensions must harness their abilities to fight off the monstrous Horrors that threaten all their worlds. It’s a jarring transition to make âŠ
But then, all the sexy girls at his new school make it a whole lot easier.
I knew I was going to like Deacon Frostâs Raven House (Otherworld Academy #1) the moment I saw Truck-kun named in the blurb. Truck-kun is not an actual character in the book, beyond its pivotal appearance in the first scene, but any author who can name one of the most iconic trucks in all of anime obviously knows their isekai tropes.
That said, if you like isekai adventures, you’re in for a fun ride.
Otherworld Academy reads like the glorious product of a drunken late-night con chat between authors where one asked “What if Harry Potter got isekai’d off to a sexy steampunk college and also discovered he was really into Pokemon and also collecting girls?” It’s more Harry Potter than Pokemon, given its magic boarding school setting and cross-dimensional high stakes, but when it’s revealed that reincarnated Levi has a talent for monster taming and gets a set of magic items that are basically steampunk Pokeballs, the monster collecting nerd in me squealed a little bit. (Okay, a lot.)
It’s a harem book, so naturally Levi collects ladies as enthusiastically as he does monsters, but it stands out from other harem books in that its women contribute something other than sexiness to the plot. Each helps Levi learn to master his powers and place in this world in their own (not even necessarily sexy) ways, and eventually he discovers a legitimate reason why he should pair up with multiple women (relating to the mechanics of his magic).
On the spicy end, there’s plenty of spice, and it’s hotâbut the characters and world are so well-defined that honestly it could stand on its own without the spicy scenes. (And they are mostly skippable for people who want story over sex.)
To be honest, while the spice is great, the world and characters are where Raven House excels. Its approach to magic is interesting and twofold; mana in this setting can be processed into vapor and burned in a way that effectively turns it into fuel, and the magitek nerd in me enjoyed reading about the intricacies of this process. People, of course, have access to magic, too, and since everyone at this school is from a different dimension with different magical practices, there are a wide variety of ways for students to harness their magic, which makes for cool, eclectic battle scenes, especially toward the end.
In terms of the world itself, we don’t get much of a look into the other dimensions in this bookâthis volume is largely the story of Levi getting used to his new worldâbut some details here and there, and especially the climactic conflict of the book, hint at a complex array of interdimensional politics and problems just waiting to spill onto Academy grounds in future books.
Levi himself is a likable and relatable protagonist, fascinated by his new abilities and body while being reasonably frustrated by the practical things he now has to get used to. (He had good eyesight in his old body, for example, whereas his new body needs glasses.) Also, while he has his headstrong moments, he’s never audacious enough to be outright stupid, and mostly uses his power to stick up for his motley band of friends when bullies from other houses come to pick at them. (Otherworld Academy divides its students into magically-themed houses, Hogwarts-style.) Heâs also noble enough to stick up for redeemable enemies once he learns more about their situations, though the absolute baddies get knocked on their asses when they deserve it. Cupcake-obsessed elf Nox Willowbrook makes for a fun companion, both in magic and ⊠other things, and dark elf house mistress Tawny Goldenrod makes for a ferocious presence, both on the battlefield and ⊠elsewhere. Another notable character is Glint Scrim, a swamp imp and vapor engineer whoâs such a nerd for his subject matter that his enthusiasm is absolutely infectious (and one of the reasons why the magic systems come across so well).
Of all the characters, though, Zuzan is best girl.
Overall, if youâre looking for a fun, magical academy adventure with a steampunk vibe and steamier sex, Raven House (Otherworld Academy #1) is a great place to start.
Hey, everyone!
A bunch of readers have told me that you didn’t receive notifications from Amazon when Titan Mage Dragon came out, which is to say:
All the more reason to follow me on BookBub! đ
I’ve personally found that BookBub is most reliable when it comes to getting timely notifications about book releases, but if you’d like to follow me elsewhere just in case, I’m also on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, and (occasionally) TikTok.
(Though, of course, if you want to be extra-sure to receive the next book on release day, you can always preorder! đ)
Stay spicy, and as always, thanks for reading!
Audio fans, rejoice! đ
The audiobook version of Titan Mage Ruin (#2) is now up on Audible, once again from Royal Guard Publishing and dual-narrated by Daryl Mayfield and Jess Trepanier.
I loved the work they did on the first book, and I’m eager to see what y’all think of this one! đ
I get universally panicked reactions every time I say Titan Mage will end at Book 5, so hereâs a little look into what I actually have planned for the future of Locke and companyâand the world of Haven in general. đ
First, donât panic! Thereâs definitely more of the Titan Mage universe in your future.
When I say âTitan Mage will end at Book 5,â what I mean is âThat particular arc will end with Book 5,â and the next arc will start with a new series. I prefer to write in multiple short series rather than single long series because it helps me organize my writing process more efficientlyâand because it gives my stories concrete stopping points so readers arenât left hanging for months while I work on novels for my other pen name.
After Titan Mage 5, Iâll be switching back to my H.P. Holo name to write the final (mega-)book of my Monster Punk Horizon series, and then after that Iâll be returning to the world of Haven to write a series Iâm calling Airship for now (the official title will be determined closer to release).
The events of Airship take place at the same time as Titan Mage and follow Ray and Erudicia QâVan and the crew of the Indigo Gryphon as they go on archaeological adventures and uncover their own dangerous mysteries about the world of Haven.
Following that, I have plans for a variety of series that are still very much in the âthrowing ideas aroundâ stage:
Potential Series 3 unites the casts of both Titan Mage and Airship as they [do some stuff thatâs slightly spoilery for both series] and face an emerging threat to Havenâs peace.
Potential Series 4 jumps twenty-ish years into the future and follows the children of both casts as they get up to big stompy robot action.
And given that the world of Haven is so expansive, thereâs plenty of potential for other stories, tooâan academy series set at the Arcane Index, for example, or a series that follows a rig-and-titan mercenary band, or heck, even a slice-of-life series. With a world like Haven, the possibilities are nearly infinite.
Outside the Titan Mage universe, Iâm also playing around with the idea of writing a monster girl series set in the Monster Punk Horizon world under my H.P. Holo pen name. If youâre unfamiliar with this series, it takes a lot of cues from monster hunting/collecting games like ⊠well, Monster Hunter, Pokemon, and Digimon, but it also has fun with a lot of standard fantasy/RPG tropes. Which is to say, thereâs a lot of potential for fun in that universe that is slightly different from the fun that I get up to in the Titan Mage universe. (And, of course, since this series would be written under this pen name, it would be just as spicy as Titan Mage.)
So there you have it! A tiny look into the future of Haven (and other worlds).
But that saidâreaders, are there any particular types of stories youâd like to see? đ