Let's play Midnight Sun Cover Twins.

So here's a funny story... or not so funny... or maybe awesome---I'm still deciding. I think it's awesome! And I'm taking it as a huge thumbs up from the universe.

Back in July 2019 I had a series cover designed Books 1-4 for a series with the working title Dark Descendants. Last week that series cover design was finalized with the final title Dark Origins.

Book 1 'Vampire Hearts' is due to go on pre-order from today (Hurry up Amazon processing files) and the other three books throughout the rest of the year. They are already written.

Here is the Design mock ups from the file time stamp July 26th 2019 Notice anything similar?

Here is the polished final cover as of last week..

Yeah, I'm like wow.... followed by hysterical laughter. Last night Stephanie Meyer's publisher released the never seen before cover for her surprise release Midnight Sun.... I AM SOOOOOO EXCITED!! But imagine my surprise when I saw this.

And here is Stephanie Meyer's surprise book reveal as of midnight last night...

Yes of course I'm going to change my design for Book 4 of my series! Stephanie Meyer is one of my book heroes. The very first book I wrote a decade ago, The Forest of Adventures (Book 1 of the Knight Trilogy) is dedicated to S--which stands for Stephanie because she unlocked a passion for storytelling in this dusty old literary scholar.

So I just thought I'd share this bizzare little twist of strange book world fate and coincidence because sometimes great minds really do think alike, and the universe likes a giggle.

Also I wonder if her publisher knows I'd have made her cover for her at half the price of their designer HAHHAHAHAH!


In the meantime, if you can't wait for August and are looking for a fabulous vampire fix, Book 1 of Dark Origins is now available for pre-order on Amazon Kindle and will be released JUNE 2nd

Vampire Hearts. Book One of the DARK ORIGINS series
75k full length YA novel
Released June 2nd 2020
Desert Bloom Press
Kindle ebook $2.99 for pre-order and launch month.
Available on all ebook platforms from September 2nd 2020

Alexander Augustine had loved his girlfriend, then he'd nearly killed her. That was his curse; his dark origin.

On the run from the human world, he finds himself at Bathory Academy, home to the children of the world's most infamous vampires.

But with the rising vampire powers of students comes the brutal race to see who will be crowned the next king or queen of the vampire world. And some of them will stop at nothing to claim the throne... or their own immortality.

But Alexander isn't interested in crowns and thrones. All he wants to know is whether he still has a heart.

You can pre-order your copy here for the special pre-order and launch month price of $2.99
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0881XMMG8    
Amazon USA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0881XMMG8


**
N.B:
For curious souls, here is the screen shot of me reworking the covers for the series formerly known as Bathory Academy. Vampire Hearts had been a novella that was part of the Bathory Academy novella series. That novella was then reworked into a fully extended 75k novel along with the other in the series with plans to relaunch under WIP title Dark Descendants / then final Dark Origins series title. The design for this cover was done on July 26th -ridiculously early in the morning HAHAHA

Also note how terrible most authors are at keeping their files organized and named properly LOL. 

STRANGE BEAUTIES is the new name for the original novel 'Beautiful Freaks' and this weekend I'm celebrating the relaunch of this very special story. I've been waiting to share the beautiful new cover with you for weeks. It's so pretty and magical.

Strange Beauties is also on offer price for just $2.99 / £2.49.

SHE MAY BE BEAUTIFUL BUT SHE'S DEADLY.

The mysterious Evangeline Valentine likes to collect magical supernatural creatures; but her desire to find unique acts for her unique theatre show has grown into a dangerous obsession. 

Now, her attention has turned to Kaspian Blackthorne, a handsome and poetic young man, who having just celebrated his eighteenth birthday in a hedonistic journey into the bohemian labyrinth of London’s theatre land, has discovered a devastating secret about his own identity. 

It is a secret Evangeline Valentine is happy to kill for. 

And when a series of terrifying paranormal murders takes place in London’s West End, Kaspian is not the only one who finds himself entangled in Evangeline’s wicked web of cruel intentions. 

‘Strange Beauties’ promises an enchanting and darkling adventure back in time to the bohemian and gothic world of Victorian London; with echoes of the works of Wilde, Shelley, Doyle and Stoker, the story of Kaspian and Evangeline is just one of many captivating strands in this 120k word paranormal mystery romance. 


***
STRANGE BEAUTIES was PREVIOUSLY TITLED ‘BEAUTIFUL FREAKS’

Katie M. John is the award winning and internationally bestselling author of ‘The Knight Trilogy’ and ‘The Meadowsweet Chronicles’. She has won numerous accolades such as Critic’s Choice at the Kindle Book Review, and Reader’s favourite at UTOPiA. She was also recently shortlisted for Book of The Year at Books Go Social. 

Known for her enchanting, darkling worlds and loveable antiheroes, Katie’s works are ideal for readers of Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, CJ Redwine and Sarah J. Maas. 

UK: amazon.co.uk/dp/B009XDNKZW US: amazon.com/dp/B009XDNKZW
ALL OTHER eBOOK platforms https://books2read.com/u/3k5q84

#books #YABookPromo

The Yuletide Woodsman is FREE this weekend.

28th-30th December Limited time FREE sale. Did you get a kindle for Christmas? Here's a little gift to go with it. Please share with fellow Fairy Tale story  lovers <3 span="">

*Clean YA Fairy Tale Romance.

BLURB:

She must break the curse or never get home.

Kidnapped from the real world and gifted to a cursed prince in a strange fairy-tale realm, seventeen-year-old Neve soon discovers wickedness has no bounds, and desperate people will go to any lengths to ensure their own survival.

Held prisoner in a castle, surrounded by wolf infested woods, and a population grown cold hearted with the endless winter, Neve must find a way to escape back to her own world before she is drawn deeper into Queen Morag's dark web of evil intentions.

There is only one person who can possibly help her find her way home. Stag, the Queen's Woodsman, and expert wolf slayer. But can Neve trust him when the line between monsters and men is so fine?

READERS' NOTE: The Seasons' Fairy Tales are a collection of novellas (between 20-30k words) They can be read in any order and are all stand alone stories in the collection.

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07L1577LD

USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L1577LD

COVER REVEAL: Haunted' Book 5 of The Meadowsweet Chronicles.

***COVER REVEAL***
Book 5 of The Meadowsweet Chronicles is coming at the end of January. I'm so excited to share this world with you. It's taken some crazy turns and you've all been so patient waiting for the next instalment and I thank you for that, from the bottom of my heart.

*

Lucia Chase had just wanted a safe place to run to. She thought Coldstone House was the answer. Little did she know about it's dark and bloody history. A history that refuses to stay in the past. 

With her brother Jeremiah, increasingly concerned about the state of her sanity, Lucia seeks reassurance from the devastatingly handsome priest, Nathanial Abaddon, sent to Heargton to initiate the purge and rid the village of Witches and supernaturals once and for all. 

But who is Nathanial Abaddon? And are his plans really in the name of God and good, or is there some other selfish motivation for his desire to rid the Portal of The Ancient Ones of its guardians,The Meadowsweet Sisters. 

In Book 5 of the Meadowsweet Chronicles, the Stygian project begins to reach its terrifying, apocalyptic potential, family loyalties are torn apart, unlikely allegiances struck, and the choice between love and power needs to be made. 

With its epic scope of folklore and mythology, The Meadowsweet Chronicles takes the reader on a magical, darkling journey from the sleepy English village of Heargton, to Mexico, Haiti, Salem, Egypt and Italy as deities and supernaturals are forced to choose their side. 

P.S For lovers of my other series,  The Knight Trilogy, you are in for a very special surprise. 

BOOK ONE IS FREE! 

If you've not had a chance to read Book 1 of the series 'Witchcraft' yet, then you can download Book 1 FREE on all eBook platforms.

AMAZON UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NG5CLTE

AMAZON USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NG5CLTE

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id950645919

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/witchcraft-16

IT'S BOOK BIRTHDAY DAY for The Wolf Princess Series, Book 2

It's out today. 'Wolf Winter' part of The Bathory Academy Universe.

Read it in conjunction with the Bathory Academy series, or as a stand alone series in its own right.

Free on Kindle Unlimited. Just $2.99 on Kindle.

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07KB2XKG8
USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KB2XKG8

ASTRID NORDSKOV: VIKING. VAMPIRESS. WOLF-PRINCESS. WARRIOR.

Disobeying my father, our Chief, was not something I wanted to do, but what choice did I have? An innocent man is condemned to die and I have the power to stop it. I think. I hope.

With my powers rising, with my world expanding, and my heart teaching my head that love is also a weapon, I am preparing to prove myself worthy, and save our clan from a terrible darkness that might destroy us once and for all.

But first, I have to discover the true extent of my powers, and my time at Bathory Academy, School of Vampires, is providing me with the perfect education, even if I don't exactly like what I'm learning.

*
In this second companion novella series to Bathory Academy, Astrid Nordskov finds herself caught between the worlds of Bathory Academy and all its magical revelations, and the duty of home, back in the wilds of Denmark.

With northern magic, Norse folklore, Vikings, shifters and vampires, The Wolf Princess series can be read as a series in its own right or alternated with the books of Bathory Academy for a fully immersive experience.

If you want to start at the very beginning and plunge into the complete world and story, then start with BOOK 1 of The Bathory Academy Series, 'Vampire Hearts' here
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07FYDW4FH
USA:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FYDW4FH

RECOMMENDED READING ORDER FOR THE BATHORY ACADEMY SERIES

Vampire Hearts (Book 1 of Bathory Academy)
Wolf Princess (Book 1 of Astrid: Bathory Universe)
Vampire Masks (Book 2 of Bathory Academy)
Wolf Winter (Book 2 of Astrid: Bathory Universe)
Vampire Kiss (Book 3 of Bathory Academy) OUT FEB 2019

FREE WINTER eBOOK READS FOR YOU.

It's the season of giving, and so here is a list of Katie M. John Books that you can download for FREE and which make the perfect winter reads. 

"Katie M. John is the UK and USA best selling Young Adult author of the award winning, list busting 'The Knight Trilogy' and 'The Meadowsweet Chronicles'."

If you've yet to discover my series, the first in these series are FREE to download on all ebook platforms, and if you're in Kindle Unlimited, you can also download the Seasons' Fairy Tale Collection for FREE, too. 

Seasons Greetings 

Kate xox 

FREE ON ALL PLATFORMS. 

THE FOREST OF ADVENTURES: 

The Forest of Adventures (Book 1 of the #1 best selling YA contemporary Arthurian series, The Knight Trilogy) is FREE on all eBook platforms.

BLURB: 
An Ancient Legend. A Modern Love Story.

Follow seventeen year old Mina singer into the enchanted ancient forest where legends still live in a magical Arthurian world that was thought lost forever.

For college student, Mina Singer, falling for the handsome new boy was never part of the life plan. Especially not one as odd and mysterious, if not ridiculously handsome, as Blake Beldevier. With his out of time chivalry and his over-serious face, Mina finds herself inexplicably drawn to him, and his deadly secrets.

The further she ventures into the forest to discover more about Blake’s true identity, the deeper she is pulled into a world she thought only existed in fairy tales. A world where magic and evil still co-exist, and where a terrible game of hearts with Morgan Le Fay is about to begin.

In the Realm, life and death are all a matter of the choices that are made.

Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0049H9268
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049H9268
iBOOKS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1418525202

All other eBook platforms: https://www.books2read.com/u/3J86vv

WITCHCRAFT

'Witchcraft' is Book One of The Meadowsweet Chronicles. An upper YA epic chunky paranormal and occult series stuffed full of world folklore and urban legends. 

BLURB

EVEN TODAY, ALL WITCHES SCREAM WHEN THEY BURN. 

THREE SISTERS. 
TWO ENEMY COVENS. 
ONE DEAD GIRL.

Seventeen-year-old Fox Meadowsweet is an outsider, just like her sisters, just like all the other women in her family before her. That's what comes of being born a witch. 

But being an outsider makes you stronger, smarter, more resilient. It helps you know who to trust... no one . 

When a college girl is discovered ritually murdered, ancient superstitions and long buried secrets rise to the surface and many eyes turn to the beautiful, mysterious Meadowsweet sisters. After all, they do come from a long line of infamous witches. 

Or maybe the strange, handsome new American arrival, Jeremiah Chase, an Exiled New York bad boy has something to do with it. His family history is more than a little shady; suicides, murders, and whispers of occult activity are all linked to the grand house he now stays in with his aunt. 

One thing for certain, history definitely isn't staying in the past. 

As the village erupts with paranormal activity and ancient feuds reignite, it's time to find out who your friends really are.

Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NG5CLTE
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NG5CLTE
iBOOKS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id950645919

All other eBook platforms: https://www.books2read.com/u/bPyRx3

FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED

A series of 3/4 novels. Magical fairy tales for the seasons. Contemporary worldslip stories of Witches, Beasts, Fae, dastardly Duke,  handsome woodsman and a whole cast of fairytale characters.  

They are part of the same collection but stand alone stories and can be read in any order to suit the season. 

THE YULETIDE WOODSMAN

She must break the curse or never get home.

Kidnapped from the real world and gifted to a cursed prince in a strange fairy-tale realm, seventeen-year-old Neve soon discovers wickedness has no bounds, and desperate people will go to any lengths to ensure their own survival. 

Held prisoner in a castle, surrounded by wolf infested woods, and a population grown cold hearted with the endless winter, Neve must find a way to escape back to her own world before she is drawn deeper into Queen Morag's dark web of evil intentions. 

There is only one person who can possibly help her find her way home. Stag, the Queen's Woodsman, and expert wolf slayer. But can Neve trust him when the line between monsters and men is so fine?

THE WINTER QUEEN

When close friends May and Tom take a walk through the snow covered woods, May has no idea how truly magical, and dangerous, things are about to get.

When she wakes up badly injured in lavish but unfamiliar surroundings, she begins to understand that nothing is once what it was - and sometimes, as beautiful as the snow can be, it can be cruel.

Finding herself trapped in a terrible fairy tale, May must find a way to get home before she is trapped there forever.

THE AUTUMN DUCHESS

I'd woken up to find myself in a different world and a different time. If this wasn't confusing enough, there was now a stupidly handsome, half-naked guy standing before me, barely covered by a tartan blanket. A minute ago, he had been a stag running for his life. 

Glen McGarrick is a cheeky Jacobite rebel from 1745. He's also cursed by a fairy queen.

Skye Lennox is a twenty-first century teen who should be dead, but isn't. Instead, she's woken up in a world where magic still lingers, evil fairies demand ritual sacrifices, everyone hates the English, and the corsetry is too damned tight. 

Bound by their shared secrets, Skye and Glen embark on a mission to get Skye home before the evil English Duke ensnares Skye along with all his other pretty little creatures. 

SERIES LINKS

Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07L5Q1D2D

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L5Q1D2D

Viking, wolfmen, vampire hybrids... what's not to love in this new YA series?

***RELEASE DAY*** I am super excited to let you know that 'Wolf Princess' (Part of the Bathory Academy Universe) is now live on Amazon.

It's available for FREE DOWNLOAD on KINDLE UNLIMITED and just $2.99 on Kindle.

The Wolf Princess novella series can be read as either a series in its own right or alternate them with the Bathory Academy series for a universe reading experience.

BLURB:

ASTRID NORDSKOV: VIKING. VAMPIRESS. WOLF-PRINCESS. WARRIOR.

When there are so many elements to your identity, it’s hard to know who you really are; especially when everybody has a very clear idea of who they think you SHOULD be.

After being left for dead on the boundary of our settlement, having been attacked by Jeorge, the only boy I have ever loved, my father sent me, and my protective pack of wolfboys, to Scotland, to the safety of Bathory Academy, school for vampires.

I’m meant to learn what it is to be a warrior, a leader, a chief of my clan. I’m meant to learn never to repeat the same foolish mistake of falling in love with an unsuitable boy again…

But the gods have another path for me and so I’m ever connected to the land of ice and granite, to the forests and the sea.

*

In this companion novella series to Bathory Academy, Astrid Nordskov is forced to face the brutal reality behind her attack and comes to understand that the old gods have a very new vision for the princess of the last Viking clan.

With northern magic, Norse folklore, Vikings, shifters and vampires, The Wolf Princess series can be read as a series in its own right or alternated with the books of Bathory Academy for a fully immersive experience.

AMAZON US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G7J81XJ
AMAZON UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07G7J81XJ

Flunked your A-Levels? A message from 'a failure'.

A-Levels.

My A-level day wasn't great. I'd been a high achiever all my life, aced my GCSE and had a conditional offer from Cambrige University, which coming from a Northern comprehensive school and from a disadvantaged background was quite something.

The two years of my A-Level studies were hard. I was studying 5 A-LEVELS and my father was in and out of a psychiatric unit because his bi-polar and medication made him frequently suicidal and when he was home, life was incredibly difficult.

My mother was working 3-4 different jobs at a time just to keep the roof over our head and to feed us. I will always respect her for that.

Me in Paris for a book signing Sept 2017

I was working part time as well as studying because it was the only way I would have any money, and because Friday and Saturday nights were party night--a chance to completely forget all the shit going on at home. I had a very unhealthy gin and red wine habit, but it was the 1990s and most of us from the age of 16 had unhealthy alcohol habits.

I was also in a really messed up relationship (or maybe a couple of messed up relationships) in that first year of studies.

And amongst all that, I had taken it upon myself to apply for Cambridge, get an interview that no one prepped me for and get a conditional offer.

The day of my English Lit A-Level was the day after my father had a serious psychotic episode that resulted in hospital admission. I'd been up until past midnight as the services were dealing with him and I was a mess.

Me in New York for a book signing
Sept 2017

It wasn't a time that schools really got that whole student well-being stuff, and it certainly wasn't a time that people knew how to handle discussions about mental health. I was ignored by the staff because they didn't know what to say. There were no allowances, no care, no special circumstances.

When the results came, I got a B. I'd been predicted a top grade in English, just like 3 of the other A-Levels. It didn't matter in the end, apart from pride, because all my other grades were Bs and Cs too.

I wasn't going to Cambridge.
I wasn't even going to a 'top university'.

To be honest. It felt like the world had stopped spinning for a day or two.

I took my fourth choice of St. Mary's University in Twickenham, and convinced myself that it was going to be fabulous to be so near to London... and it was.

St. Mary's was exactly what I needed in my life at that moment. It was small, caring, faith based (not my own but nevertheless) I was a big fish in a small pond. I aced my first term assignments, I became head of the literature society, I built great relationships with my tutors, who restored my esteem and faith in myself, I roomed on the small campus with a room mate and it was a village where I could start to rebuild and discover myself.

I will be eternally grateful for not getting the grades to Cambridge, which I honestly believe would have further destroyed me.

Today, I travel the world as an author and small publisher, I go on the most incredible adventures, I hang with the most amazing people.

I'm married to the guy I got together with in the second year of A-LEVELS and who stood by all the crazy. I have two beautiful daughters and live close by the university, where I now hold a residential conference for writers every two years.

What this tells you is that things happen for a reason. If you didn't get the grades you needed, or wanted, then maybe there's a bigger picture for you.

Life isn't all about grades, but it is about doing the very most you can with the resources that you have, about not settling in the same place, to always believe you can do better, attain your dreams, even if it's not in the way you've been raised to believe.

I was a secondary school English teacher, in charge of GCSE English for many years. In the end, I left partly because I couldn't reconcile my soul and ethics to the exam and grade culture we are enforcing on our students. It's destructive and it isn't true.

IT ISN'T TRUE. I promise you that your grades are merely an advantage, not the answer. They don't guarantee you anything in life. They make getting through some doors a little easier, but once inside that room, they're like ether.

It's your personality, your values, your work ethic, your confidence, your belief, your integrity, being well-read, being well-travelled, culturally aware, business savvy, good with money, knowing when to risk it all and when to protect it all that will make you a success.

It's your ability to truly love and accept yourself that will allow others to love you and for you to build up relationships that make you happy.

And honestly, happiness is the ultimate goal, and no one needs top grades for that.

Be strong. Good luck and always reach for your dreams <3 span=""> <3 span=""> <3 span="">

A Fresh Brand New YA Vampire Series To Sink Your Teeth Into...

HE'S A NEWLY EMERGED VAMPIRE. SHE'S THE DESCENDANT OF THE MOST PREDATORY VAMPIRESS IN HISTORY...

We are delighted to announce the official launch of Katie M. John's brand new vampire series, 'Bathory Academy'. 

"It's like Hogwarts grew up and got vamped! Can't wait for Book 2 - 5 STARS" (ARC REVIEW) 

When an eighteenth birthday party ends in bloodshed, Alexander Augustine’s secret is revealed. After his vampire identity goes viral on social media, there's no choice but to run, and there's only one place to go…

Cover and brand credit to Regina Wamba at Mae I Designs

Bathory Academy, home to the next generation some of the world's most notorious vampire families, is a college like no other. It offers Alexander both sanctuary and a very different kind of education; a place where he can truly be.

As Alexander begins to slowly accept his supernatural life, and all the needs that go with it, he’s drawn towards the beautiful, but potentially deadly, Scarlett Bathory, soon discovering their history is as tightly knotted as their present.

With revolution, bloodlust, and desire for vampire world domination taking hold, Alexander starts to fear he’s nothing but a pawn in a very dangerous game.

To accompany the Bathory Academy series, there will also be a series of companion novellas, which can be read as a series in their own right or for a truly immersive reading exprience, alternated with the reading of Bathory Academy. 

The launch schedule for Bathory Academy is: Sept, Nov, Jan, March, April and the companion novellas will be released in the alternate months. 

THE COMPANION SERIES: 'THE WOLF PRINCESS'

ASTRID NORDSKOV: VIKING. VAMPIRESS. WOLF-PRINCESS. WARRIOR.

When there are so many elements to your identity, it’s hard to know who you really are, especially when everybody has a very clear idea of who they think you should be.

After being left for dead on the boundary of our settlement, having been attacked by Jeorge, the only boy I have ever loved, my father sent me, and my protective pack of wolfboys, to Scotland, to the safety of Bathory Academy, school for vampires.

I’m meant to learn what it is to be a warrior, a leader, a chief of my clan. I’m meant to learn never to repeat the same foolish mistake of falling in love with an unsuitable boy again…

But the gods have another path for me and so I’m ever connected to the land of ice and granite, to the forests and the sea.

*
In this companion novella series to Bathory Academy, Astrid Nordskov is forced to face the brutal reality behind her attack and comes to understand that the old gods have a very new vision for the princess of the last Viking clan.

With northern magic, Norse folklore, Vikings, shifters and vampires, The Wolf Princess series can be read as a series in its own right or alternated with the books of Bathory Academy for a fully immersive experience.

*
Readers’ Note: These are 20-25k thousand word novellas (Half-novels) and there is some more mature Young Adult content.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF 'VAMPIRE HEARTS' BOOK 1 of Bathory Academy HERE:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07FYDW4FH
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FYDW4FH
iBOOKS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1422492075
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/vampire-hearts
NOOK: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vampire-hearts-katie-m-john/1129244130?ean=2940155723301

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF 'THE WOLF PRINCESS' Novella 1 of Bathory Academy World companion novellas HERE: 

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G7J81XJ
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07G7J81XJ