C Gockel Writes

Orphans in the Black (a new home for Murphy’s Star)

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Get it FREE as part of Kindle Unlimited at Amazon U.S., United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and Australia

A few years ago I wrote a short story called Murphy’s Star. It’s about a scientist traveling to a distant planet who picks up an alien *koffs* passenger during cryosleep.

Murphy’s Star launched my career. But lately, it has fallen into obscurity. I decided to give it a new home. I wanted the new home to have awesome stories that my fans who’d read Murphy’s would love. So, Orphans in the Black was born. This is a collection with a ton of heart. There is plenty of adventure, but the really big battles are internal. There are authors I know some of you love already: Lindsay Buroker, Christine Pope, M.R. Forbes, and others. There are also lesser known authors I think you’ll fall in love with.

I loved putting this collection together. I’m sure you’ll love it too. This collection is available for 99¢ for a limited time and is FREE in Kindle Unlimited.

The Imp Series Box Set ~ by Debra Dunbar

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Imp Series 1-3 In the writing world there is, let us say, a difference of opinion on the merits of “genre fiction.” There are a lot of people for whom there is “literature”, which is deep and meaningful … and their is entertaining fluff, aka, genre fiction, which is not.

I call BS.

You can write things that are accessible and page turners that has deeper meanings and philosophical implications with multifaceted characters readers can care about. The genre fiction I like always does that, and the Imp Series is a prime example. The series explores the relationship of Chaos and Order, through Sam, an Imp hiding out on Earth, and her relationships with Demons, Angels, Humans, and others. The author, Debra Dunbar, has a degree in English with an emphasis on Medieval Literature and Folklore, and it really comes through in the Imp series as well as her Templar books. Her Angels aren’t sweet and nice (hey, in the Bible, Angels almost always say, “Be not afraid,” which kinda hints that they might be a bit scary.) Her demons aren’t misunderstood bad boys waiting to be saved either. They are their own damned species (ha!)

The great thing about the Imp series, is that Sam, being an Imp, is funny. There are laugh out loud moments, because even when her neck is on the line, she can be distracted by things like a chicken wand … which, considering she is an Imp, makes perfect sense.

Sam can be diabolical–much more so than my Loki–but she is fiercely loyal to her friends whether human, demon, or other. Oh, and bonus, the humans aren’t helpless. When they catch on to demonic danger, they fight back with guns. Lots and lots of guns.

Each story in this set is complete, but you’ll still want to rip right through the collection, because the characters rapidly become like old friends. I started reading these and didn’t write for a whole week … so … yeah. Getting the first three in a box set is a really good deal and you’ll wind up saving a lot of money.

Right now the first three books are on sale for 99-cents at time of posting at Amazon US, Amazon CA, Amazon UK, Nook, Kobo, iBooks.

However, the first book is also FREE for now at Amazon US, Amazon CA, Amazon UK, Nook, Kobo, iBooks, and (almost) the whole series is available in audiobook.

Love the Imp Series? Say so below … or tell me what you’re reading and loving right now. I’m always looking for my next book-addiction!

A New Box Set – FREE as of Posting

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Bad Magic 10 Novels with Demons, Djinn, Werewolves, Vampires, and Rogue Gods

FREE at: Amazon, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, & GooglePlay

Christine Pope and I have created a new box set! This set has Christine’s Chosen and my Wolves in it, but the rest of the titles are brand new and some have never been offered free before!

Bad magic can be so good …

These 10 full-length novels of paranormal romance and urban fantasy will keep you on the edge of your seat and up past the witching hour. Black magic, adventure, and romance … they’re all here.

Something this good can’t last forever … download this set before it’s gone!

About the Books:

Chosen by Christine Pope
When a fatal fever nearly wipes out the entire world’s population, the survivors of what became known as “the Dying” believe the worst is in the past …

Dead Rising by Debra Dunbar
Solaria Ainsworth was born a Templar, destined to take up the mantle of responsibility and duty as her family’s Order had done for hundreds of years.
Except she refuses to take her Oath of Knighthood.

Hidden Blade by Pippa DaCosta
Kicked out of the underworld and cursed to walk this Earth for all eternity, Ace Dante is not the hero New York needs, but when Egyptian gods start killing, Ace is the city’s only defense.

Wolves by C. Gockel
When Amy prays for help, Loki the Norse God of Mischief and Chaos isn’t the savior she has in mind.

Bitter Ashes by Sara C. Roethle
She’s not their long lost fairy princess, she’s their executioner. Legends of Norse Myth and Necromancy collide in this fast-paced Urban Fantasy with a dark romantic twist.

The Last Necromancer by C.J. Archer
For 5 years, Charlie has lived as a boy in the slums, but when she’s arrested, her only means of escape lies with raising the dead. Now people are hunting her for her necromancy, but only one man succeeds in capturing her: a man known as Death, as compelling as he is frightening.

Nefertiti’s Heart by A.W. Exley
1861. In a steam and mechanically powered London, feisty Cara Devon uses her dead father’s secret notebook as a guide in her pursuit of powerful ancient artifacts.

Lost Wolf by Stacy Claflin
She’s hiding a dark secret. It already killed her once.

Thunder Hunter by Rachel Medhurst
For Thor to Live, Thunder Hunter must die. For a thousand years, Thor’s power has been inside Trygger. Can he finally defeat the Fallen Ones to give it back?

Sorceress Awakening by Lisa Blackwood
When Lillian finds herself facing off against vampires, help comes from an unlikely source—the stone gargoyle who has been sleeping in her garden. In a heartbeat, her ordinary life becomes far more complicated, and if her overprotective, shape-shifting guardian is to be believed, there’s an evil demi-goddess just waiting for the chance to enslave them both.

Download FREE at: Amazon, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, & GooglePlay

A New Adventure In the I Bring the Fire Universe

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Vampires of the Carribbean

Introducing Vampires of The Caribbean, a short story anthology by bestselling authors like Debra Dunbar, Shawntelle Madison, Mandy Roth, and more!

Currently unavailable

 My Story  in the collection, Someday My Count Will Come, is a new adventure in the I Bring the Fire Universe and features a cameo by Loki! Someday  features Count Darerick Razvano Noapt (aka Dare) a Night Elf *cough*. Dare is ancient. He’s keeping secrets from his own kind and seeking a Night Elf that has gone renegade. Penny is only twenty-four, seeking her lost sister, and hiding a secret as well. To save themselves, and save Dare’s people, they might have to risk letting their secrets go. Here’s an excerpt:

They haven’t gone ten paces when Loki stops and says, “I’m forgetting something … I know I am. You’re to go to Orlando …”

“In Florida.” Dare winces. It’s probably sunny there, and warm places usually have snakes … and spiders.

Spinning clumsily, Loki blinks at him. “Lovely weather in early spring, which it is there by the way. Sunshine, warm even at night, you won’t need a sweater. Think of it as a vacation.”

“I’m a Night Elf,” Dare says flatly.

“Vampire,” Loki says.

“A vacation for me would be Moscow in December,” Dare mutters.

Loki stares at him a moment, and then gives a crooked grin. “I suppose so.” He snorts, and then snaps his fingers. A spark jumps into the undergrowth and Dare stamps it out.

Someday takes place before the events of Wolves. Besides Someday there are nine other stories by amazing authors.

 

 

A Tale of Two Promos

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Recently, Archangel Down, the first book in my Archangel Project trilogy and my I Bring the Fire Box Set were both on sale for 99¢. The sales for both started at the same time, and ended at the same time, and both are still currently at $2.99. Besides the obvious difference in the number of books in each “sale”, Archangel is in Kindle Unlimited and I Bring the Fire is wide. Also, I Bring the Fire had a BookBub, and Archangel Down did not (it had a BookBub December 23rd–I stacked promos during this sale because I couldn’t have another BookBub for my recent release of Heretic, the conclusion of the trilogy.) Archangel Down was not running a Count Down deal, so it only earned a 35% royalty.

Here are the profits so far:

Although I earned more overall on the I Bring the Fire box, I earned more per dollar spent on the Archangel Down title.

Takeaways: this promo makes me really hesitant to take my Archangel Project out of Kindle Unlimited anytime soon. That said, the recent account closings due to scammers picking up KU books and getting authors accounts pulled has me hesitant to put I Bring the Fire into Kindle Unlimited. As you can see, I do earn about 1/3 my income  “wide.” If I were to experience an account shut down, I would at least have a small revenue stream during the weeks that it took me to get my account re-established.

Here are the promo line-ups for the sales. Besides what you see here, I spent roughly the same on AMS ads for each book. I think they were around $20? But I forgot to track.

The newsletter swaps / FB and newsletter mentions were really effective. I will probably try to line up more of those in the future.

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