I’m thrilled to announce the release of A Stone’s Throw, the first sequel to the popular YA fantasy Set in Stone.  The wait is over, and Connor’s next adventure is ready to sweep the world.

When Connor sneaks into the school of the Petralists, he learns that there, it’s all about the game.  The game will never be the same.

The book is already available for pre-order on Amazon.  It’s on sale for only $3.99 until launch day, so  now’s the best time to pick up a copy.  Please help spread the word about it.  We’ve set the aggressive goal of 500 pre-orders to help launch the book into the charts.

To help generate interest and make it a lot more fun for everyone to spread the word, we’re holding a Free Hardcover giveaway!

Participating is easy, and it’s possible to get your name in the hat several times.  Here’s how it’s going to work.

• You get 1 entry if you sign up for the newsletter here.  (If you’re already signed up, just tell me you want in, and you’ve already got 1 entry)
• You get 1 entry if you Click the Facebook Like button on this blog post.
• You get 1 entry if you Share this post on Facebook.
• You get 1 entry if you share this blog via Twitter.

To claim your entries, just share, tweet, like, etc, and then add a comment on this blog or on my Facebook author page with the details of the entries you’re claiming.  That’s it!

(Shipping to anywhere in the US or Canada is free for the winner)

Another fun page to check out is this Pinterest page that my daughter Kate has started, dedicated to Set in Stone and the Petralist series.  Check it out and follow.  We’d love to get your suggestions for more art.

The local book launch will be held Friday, December 4th at Rebel Bricks (the Lego store) on G Street in Grants Pass.  Join the Facebook event here.

Here’s the back-cover blurb for the book:

Connor’s supposed to be dead.

He’s not very good at it.

He did save his village . . . by destroying it.  And the armies vying to control his powerful curse think he’s dead.  But he needs patronage from a high lord or his curse will transform him into a raging monster.

So Connor creeps back into the land of the living, joining his Aunt Ailsa at the Carraig, the school of the Petralists, hoping somehow to find patronage on his terms.

He should have known better.

At the Carraig it’s all about the game, and the stakes have never been higher.  With old enemies appearing from under every rock, Connor plunges into games within games that form a maze of conflicting loyalties and deadly intrigue.

Dying again isn’t an option.  So with the help of trusted friends, Connor launches his own game, breaking all the rules, gambling on the one chance at a free life with the girl he loves.  The alternative is chaining his powers to one of the nations planning to unleash him upon the world.

Connor doesn’t want to kill anyone.

He might not have a choice.

I can’t tell you all how excited I am to get this new book into your hands.  It’s got the big adventure and humor of Set in Stone, with the addition of deadly intrigue and escalating political pressures.  In this book, Connor’s facing an entirely new level of threat, and he can’t curse-punch his way out of the mess he gets tangled in.

Here’s one of the new maps included in the book.  This is the Carraig, the school of the Petralists.