tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21183606753987291972024-03-08T06:33:55.902-05:00A. K. M. Beachdark fantasy with gothic flairAKMBeachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140621430234408719noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118360675398729197.post-3734437920130721222023-06-03T12:52:00.003-04:002023-06-03T12:52:14.604-04:00June 2023 UpdateA lot has happened since our last update here! <div><br /></div><div>We've been keeping readers up to date primarily through our newsletter, Twitter, and Facebook over the last two and a half years. (We still strongly recommend signing up to our newsletter for the latest news. Social media platforms come and go, but with our <a href="https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/f4a4s6">newsletter</a> we'll never lose touch!) The website has been one of those platforms that we just kept procrastinating on far past the point of embarrassment, and this is primarily because we really don't enjoy working with Blogger. </div><div><br /></div><div>We've been casting about for another host that makes sense for our budget, and while we're still stuck in analysis paralysis, we figured we ought to at least get those book pages updated and mention all we've accomplished since that accursed year 2020.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Banshee's Curse Duology </b></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>The Banshee's Curse Duology</i> became officially complete at the end of 2022 with the release of <i><a href="https://mybook.to/LadyVagosAbsolution">Lady Vago's Absolution</a></i>. It has been called a must read for fans of gothic fantasy, and we really hope it provides a satisfying conclusion to Rovena's story.<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div><div><br /><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QGqyz9C06o65543Z-gMOJn-51KZAJ3LwZxiKacLkcUxb_ka2dTgmjRYEKsN9IUf93XzJexRf4uagDkjDoCUVkhI0VitVoMgj0Fr5zsySrRQT0Ee8Uf-kMovk4JNabeAHOtlNCta2sh1B8J1-IcVrl7eynIzRL9Ck_fr6ohUsRhy_Sp7NnKyd14DPIQ/s851/New%20Facebook%20Cover%201.8.2023%20(Facebook%20Post%20(Landscape))%20(851%20%C3%97%20315%20px)%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="851" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QGqyz9C06o65543Z-gMOJn-51KZAJ3LwZxiKacLkcUxb_ka2dTgmjRYEKsN9IUf93XzJexRf4uagDkjDoCUVkhI0VitVoMgj0Fr5zsySrRQT0Ee8Uf-kMovk4JNabeAHOtlNCta2sh1B8J1-IcVrl7eynIzRL9Ck_fr6ohUsRhy_Sp7NnKyd14DPIQ/w640-h235/New%20Facebook%20Cover%201.8.2023%20(Facebook%20Post%20(Landscape))%20(851%20%C3%97%20315%20px)%20(1).png" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Platinum Order Mysteries</b></div><div><br /></div><div>We also kicked off <i>The Platinum Order Mysteries</i>, a series of standalone novellas featuring the mystic Ysoldette as she investigates all manner of hauntings throughout the Sulthrizanian Empire. The first entry, <i><a href="https://mybook.to/BardaneManor">The Haunting of Bardane Manor</a></i>, was a newsletter exclusive for over a year but is now available as an ebook on Amazon. (You can still get it as welcome gift if you're a <a href="https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/f4a4s6">newsletter</a> subscriber. *nudge nudge*) On May 31st, we released the second entry, <i><a href="https://mybook.to/SpiritChoir">The Spirit Choir</a></i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since these are standalone stories, they can be read in any order to suit your mood and the season. <i>The Haunting of Bardane Manor</i> is set in the fall, but an unnatural snowstorm gives it more of a wintry feeling. <i>The Spirit Choir</i> is a decidedly springtime story revolving around a mysterious abandoned garden.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our next published work will be another entry in this series, and we plan to have more information about it by midsummer.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfY6kC66JERrygnjqw2Y_vsnHV4fDzSCnLPpIzRiP8A_j2HA78Br555FKWTRXfUSkiih9unQRAFpfS4gCT4dFnPx8DjopB4baoBd04Z7K1hZYsjcjDSpmuDmebuxfDpTEv6Zyi5orLathK1mV95hi3OQ7ITlkhhpUUKuO9su8uQ0sBEptnkQbIdwx2w/s1000/The%20Haunting%20of%20Bardane%20Manor%20(625%20%C3%97%201000%20px).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfY6kC66JERrygnjqw2Y_vsnHV4fDzSCnLPpIzRiP8A_j2HA78Br555FKWTRXfUSkiih9unQRAFpfS4gCT4dFnPx8DjopB4baoBd04Z7K1hZYsjcjDSpmuDmebuxfDpTEv6Zyi5orLathK1mV95hi3OQ7ITlkhhpUUKuO9su8uQ0sBEptnkQbIdwx2w/s320/The%20Haunting%20of%20Bardane%20Manor%20(625%20%C3%97%201000%20px).jpg" width="200" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgtiHd0xatigAIYSYSMpiXIcrUJ8GcdNrpf4FnDf13fmVhkfjppjz8muUs53UcqI4bKEAIVe--yzqbVTs4XH2if5SnMdS9A2a8xzQtEhIt1tA6zW2xqe43hoZWQi5DySScGdrzx9vsnU4sMdc-YtVgTp82zn_xURRk9RntCTohfgl7IcYs-oA-e0vDA/s1000/The%20Spirit%20Choir%20Draft%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgtiHd0xatigAIYSYSMpiXIcrUJ8GcdNrpf4FnDf13fmVhkfjppjz8muUs53UcqI4bKEAIVe--yzqbVTs4XH2if5SnMdS9A2a8xzQtEhIt1tA6zW2xqe43hoZWQi5DySScGdrzx9vsnU4sMdc-YtVgTp82zn_xURRk9RntCTohfgl7IcYs-oA-e0vDA/s320/The%20Spirit%20Choir%20Draft%202.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Unnamed Series About Man With Sword</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While <i>The Platinum Order Mysteries</i> is Ash's brainchild, Matt is in the outlining stages of a series following Henry Maxton, a character who, like Ysoldette, first made an appearance in <i>Lady Vago's Absolution</i>. This is going to be more of a classically dark fantasy series that will cover a lengthy corruption and redemption arc of one of the unluckiest and most self-sabotaging swordsmen that ever lived. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's an ambitious project that will take some careful planning to make the most of its potential. The goal is to hold off on releasing the first book until the second is at least drafted and in the early editing stages. We'll have a progress report on this in midsummer as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For those of you who may have been relying on the website for updates, we apologize for letting this gather dust for so long! One of our 2023 goals is to improve on this front, so we promise it won't be such a long wait for the next update.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Until then, all the best!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ash and Matt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(A.K.M. Beach)</div></div><br /><div><br /></div>AKMBeachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140621430234408719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118360675398729197.post-81138932013547061492020-10-29T22:47:00.001-04:002020-10-29T22:50:19.156-04:00Video Q&A, with captions for your convenience, and transcript for your preference!<div>Well, better late than never, right? Sorry, folks, technical difficulties caused some delay, but here is the Q&A video. </div><div><br /></div>Warning: graphic abuse of adverbs and filler words ahead. <div><br /></div><div>If you want the goods but can't/won't use sound, we've also got a transcript below. Just keep scrolling. Thanks so much for your questions, everyone. We're kind of glad we're small timers and didn't get slammed, or the captioning process would have been even more of an ordeal.
<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fakmbeach%2Fvideos%2F297955894513907%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>
</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MATT: Hello, people! It's Matt and Ash
here with some questions to answer. *introverted pause* I would
call this shameless self-promotion but as two introverts nothing we
ever really do is truly shameless.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ASH: We're deeply ashamed right now.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MATT: Especially her. I get to hide
behind the camera where I belong.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ASH: Lucky.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MATT: I have a face for radio, as they
say.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">(Ash's note: He's actually very
handsome.)</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MATT: So we're going to start easy
here, since we're sitting in front of three shelves, one you can't
see since it's directly behind Ash, but what are all of these things
behind her? Mostly board games and books. So, Ash, what are your top
3 favorite board games that we have here?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ASH: So, top 3 right now – this could
change – I really like Blood Rage. You're just a bunch of warring
Viking warriors that are duking it out for plunder and glory in the
middle of Ragnarok. I'm really bad at it, but that doesn't really
impact my enjoyment at all. On the middle shelf, which you can't see,
is a bunch of Lovecraft mythos themed games and probably my favorite
one on there is Eldritch Horror. Just sort of a global fight to solve
mysteries and stop an extra-dimensional threat.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><points></b> On this shelf, my
favorite is Mysterium, which is a very surreal game that features a
lot of really artistically drawn cards. You're trying to help a ghost
solve their murder and there's nothing in the world quite like it so
I enjoy it. You?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MATT: Matt: Well for me, ah, I think my
top one on there is going to be Arkham Horror, which is very similar
in theme to Eldritch Horror, but it's deeper, more complicated, and
takes a long time to set up. Which I consider part of the process
since it has a lot of neat art and lore.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I would agree with Blood Rage but not
for the same reasons. Sending my own soldiers off to glorious death
in order to win a game is excellent. And strategy games are in my
wheelhouse, so I like to savor the taste of victory against my
friends. <evil chuckle>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The third one is a recent addition, a
gift from my brother and sister-in-law: it's Q-bitz. It's much
simpler to set up, fast to play. It's about solving puzzle patterns
with six-sided cubes which resemble dice just enough to make me
interested.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's enough about the board games,
we'll dig into what we're really here for! So Ash, how do I--or, the
people watching--know that the book we wrote, Lady Vago's
Malediction, is for them?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ASH: So, our target audience is made up
of people who love vintage gothics, historical fiction, and high
fantasy in general. We like the dark, brooding atmosphere of gothics,
lots of stylish women in peril. Historical fiction, you've got those
really immersive descriptions of court life and a lot of stylish
women making trouble for other people, which is fun. And then you've
got high fantasy, which has your magic and your dragons and other
mythical beasts and monsters. Sometimes they're an allegory for real
world stuff and sometimes they're just there 'cause they're really
cool. We have things in our book for both reasons!</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MATT: I would agree. Get into it more
in one of the following questions about where a lot of the ideas that
I injected came from. But yes, there's undead which are genuine
undead. There is definitely magic. But more importantly it's about
court intrigues, mystery, and a sense of impending doom, lending
itself well to the horror genre. There's a lot of reasons to dig
into the book, but from what our early readers have said it's a very
character driven narrative, and the characters's experiences are very
compelling.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ASH: Yep, you know that it's going to
end badly from the get-go, but that
doesn't seem to spoil anyone's experience or the need to keep turning
pages just to find out how bad "bad" gets.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MATT:
Within the first ten or so pages I'd say you know basically everybody
is dead and it's more a question of how they got there.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ASH:
And why!</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MATT:
So speaking of the characters, who is your favorite character in the
story?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ASH:
I love all of the characters like they were my very own children. Um,
probably the one that I have a soft spot for is Dugan. He's a very
grouchy and reactionary old man, but my years in retail management
have definitely made me able to relate to a character who is
frustrated by these young upstarts coming in and thinking that
they're just gonna change everything and make it better for everyone
and the rest of the company is just gonna fall in line, and..<shakes
head> that's not how that works. That's not how any of this works.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MATT:
My favorite character is...as it appears on the page, "JEAR-old",
who early in his creation I jokingly referred to as "YAR-old".
As is wont with my random ideas the name "YAR-old" has
stuck with me throughout the entire process of the story, so in my
mind, he is "YAR-old", but everyone is allowed to make
their own conclusions on that! He's a painfully awkward, book-smart
alchemist whose knowledge is far beyond the era that story is more or
less set in. (Ash note: he says “more or less” because the dual
timelines make “when” a bit tricky to place.)
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In
fact, our editor suggested that one of the things he does through the
story is very similar to suggesting somebody take anti-depressants in
take anti-depressants in the modern day, which stuck with him. But I
can definitely see eye-to-eye with somebody who is socially awkward!
There's definitely a bit of darkness in Jarold which I can also
relate to quite well...but I'm going to avoid spoiling anything about
the particular characters, and if you'd like to know
more...<conspiratorial whisper> buy and read the book.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So,
beyond the characters, ah, obviously there's two of us writing this
so this is going to be another forked question, but Ash, what was the
biggest inspiration for YOU, that you brought into the story?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ASH:
<gestures> All of the books that you see here (we'll jump into
them just a little bit more for one of the later questions) but it's
kind of a blend of all of my favorite gothics, some of my favorite
fantasies, and then the really strong-willed and sort of tragic women
that have made a big impact on history. And all of that was sort of
simmering in my brain while I was working on this</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MATT:
On my end, I am less thoroughly read than my wife as far as fantasy
novels go. I've been creating content for a small little tabletop
game that some of you might know called Dungeons and Dragons. It's
been just about 20 years, maybe a little more, that I've been
creating my own stories for it. Ah, but I didn't start creating
stories because I wanted to play D&D. It was the other way around
for me. I started playing D&D because I wanted to craft and
create stories.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">My
wife, Ash, started writing a novel based on some of the characters
from several years ago that I played in college. She was in the
campaign as well as my roommate, a few other friends here and there
depending on who was available. Seeing that in book form clicked
something in my brain that made me want to take it to that stage as
well. I feel like the stories created by D&D characters are not
what I want to tell, but they are definitely an engine for adding
more pieces to the puzzle. I want to tell something a bit more
in-depth. Something a bit more beautiful than wanting to stab
everything in the face that crosses your path.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ASH:
There is a kind of beauty in that though! And we don't want to take
that out of our D&D when we play that semi-weekly.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MATT: That's fair enough. I will also
give a head nod the creative minds behind Critical Role. They were
another source of inspiration for finding art in the things that we
do in daily life. To express ourselves through art. As much as I am
typically loathe to label myself as anything artistic, I will embrace
the idea that writing these stories is indeed artistic.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So! Now that we each have our own
perspectives, I suppose the next question ought to be: how does
coauthoring work for us?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ASH: Um, we're still figuring that out
because we're both pretty new at it. But something that is pretty
well set is that it all starts with Matt. He builds the world, he
plots the plot, and he conceptualizes all these characters. And then
once he hands [over] all of that really raw, powerful material, I get
to polish it up and be really finicky over the prose itself. I love
being obsessive about word choice and then sort of putting the homey
(?) touches on worldbuilding. So, if Matt is building the house then
I'm thinking about the paint colors, the curtains, the house plants
and whatnot.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MATT: Generally speaking, I don't have
the patience for much of that, so it works out pretty well for me! I
get to do the part that I like best, which is the worldbuilding and
the character creation to some degrees. Some of the characters that I
write stay exactly as they are. Ash creates additional characters or
adds more depth to some existing characters. Two examples in the book
I feel more or less came off exactly as they were written in what I
had put forth first were Dugan and Jarold – coincidentally, our two
favorites. Ones that she really gave personality to were <laughing>
the two focal characters of the story, which is where the gothic
romance takes place: Rovena and her husband, Baron Vago...Kalsten.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">One of my early concepts, which was one
of the hinging points for part of the story is Rovena's dad. I have a
soft spot for conspiring merchants, and he fits that role nicely. Ash
created a character that I never envisioned, a lady knight who, in my
opinion, is characterized quite well in the story.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It's great when I'm reading her version
because I get to meet a new character that fits perfectly well in my
world. Making that shared experienced is definitely a net positive as
somebody who has generally created content alone for a long time.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ASH: Yes! Rovena uses her wits, but
there's definitely a fair share of lady knights running around, which
I am 100% here for. In future volumes, you can be sure that there's
going to be more of those kinds of archetypes and the variations on
them to come.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MATT: So! To wrap this up, what should
our viewers (readers) read next?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ASH: <gleeful
smile> Well...so <gestures again> as I said, these are the
books that were floating around in my mind while I was writing this.
You've got your classics: Wuthering Heights, Rebecca, and A Long
Fatal Love Chase. All of those are very beautifully written, um, very
dramatic, and then all of them are very tragic as well. Then you've
got a couple of historicals. This one's about Eleanor of Aquitane
[Eleanor of Aquitane: A Life by Alison Weir] and this one is about
the Lady Jane Grey [Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir]. Those are
tragic in their own way, but definitely some trouble-making women who
I really admire.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And
then we've got The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, which is my new
bible, basically. And then you'll have the Curse of Chalion and
Paladin of Souls. One of our reviewers actually said that the courtly
dialogue reminded them very strongly of the Curse of Chalion which I
took as a very high compliment.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So if
you haven't already read those then I strongly recommend them.
Depending on what about the book resonated with you, there's
definitely more of that in all of these. <more gesturing, so proud
of her collection></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MATT:
For my part, the answer is a bit different than that. For
recommendations for different genres... definitely take my wife's
advice. For me, it largely depends on when you're watching this. If
it's immediately, or forthcoming from the release of this video, then
please, by all means, listen to her. But if it's several months from
now that you're watching this, then then my top suggestion is going
to be the sequel to Lady Vago's Malediction, and the companion novel
that we'll be releasing along the same timeline. Definitely keep your
eyes peeled for those if they don't exist already when you're
watching this. But that's all for today, we'll put the stop here.
Have a good morning, day, evening, night.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ASH:
What even is time? Thanks for hanging out with us. We'll see you
later!</p></div>AKMBeachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140621430234408719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118360675398729197.post-79018155935680948692020-10-04T15:37:00.002-04:002020-10-04T15:37:28.327-04:00Paperbacks now available for Lady Vago's Malediction! Purchase link and unboxing video inside...<p>We made it! It's been a journey, but our debut novel finally released to the world on September 27th. Since we're nobodies, it's been a quiet affair but not entirely silent. We've gotten some lovely feedback from readers, and each rating on Amazon or Goodreads helps encourage others to try it. Every day has given us something to celebrate, whether it's a 5-star rating on Amazon, an enthusiastic note from a friend, or a review on Goodreads. </p><p>One of the most exciting milestones was when our proof copy arrived in the mail yesterday. It showed up a full four days early! We made a 2-minute video documenting the occasion, which we've included below. Give it a watch and see the stars in Ash's eyes. (Matt had stars too, but he was holding the camera.)</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GS694LW">Amazon Link</a></p><p><br /></p><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="314" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fakmbeach%2Fvideos%2F765812204266682%2F&show_text=false&width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>AKMBeachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140621430234408719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118360675398729197.post-70921469178050402792020-09-15T20:39:00.000-04:002020-09-15T20:39:03.401-04:00Our newsletter is now live - with a short story as a sign-up bonus!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CO2DNWVEngKCVMFY1ES1QvcB84flp0Yz16-ZBIYntVTae3eN1uFDUo3Dvk9Y_y76HPn3r0c-CM2Z5Qr4FnqSW1ou_IgSpZQtNu68LgNHeY81fEa54R2KdZ5D7UOCPsU8nfcwx8RfMWYJ/s940/The+Horror+at+Hag%2527s+End+FB+photo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CO2DNWVEngKCVMFY1ES1QvcB84flp0Yz16-ZBIYntVTae3eN1uFDUo3Dvk9Y_y76HPn3r0c-CM2Z5Qr4FnqSW1ou_IgSpZQtNu68LgNHeY81fEa54R2KdZ5D7UOCPsU8nfcwx8RfMWYJ/s320/The+Horror+at+Hag%2527s+End+FB+photo.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>There's something weirdly cozy about tucking into a ghost story this time of year. At least, we think so!</p><p>To celebrate getting our newslettter up and running, we're offering a gift to subscribers: The Horror at Hag's End, a short and creepy tale that's a sort of lead-in to Lady Vago's Malediction. Contents include: an ominous old man, a gloomy teenage bandit, a cursed forest, and a very handsome and important cat.</p><p>We've got the sign-up link tucked here, there, and everywhere throughout the site, but in case you're reading this on your phone and navigation isn't so smooth, you can <a href="https://bit.ly/3hzQBuL" target="_blank">click here</a> for it. We promise we'll make it worth your time. We're brand new to all of this, but one thing we're committed to is providing value to our readers via quality stories, fun little asides, the latest news, and NO SPAM.</p><p>Just plug in your email and check your junk or promotions folder for the confirmation. (Email service providers are justifiably zealous about it, but it sometimes makes it a pain to find what you actually want!) Once you're in, you'll get a warm welcome from us that includes a link to download the story.</p><p>Lady Vago's Malediction will be out in just 12 days! If you haven't already done so, you can <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GS694LW?pf_rd_r=CYMSXJRK2V4K2JYA2H0C&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee" target="_blank">pre-order here</a>. Until then, we've got a small story to hold you over.</p><p>All the best,</p><p>Matt and Ash</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><br /> <p></p>AKMBeachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140621430234408719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118360675398729197.post-3726595502426607992020-08-27T19:18:00.001-04:002020-08-28T18:45:05.280-04:00Pre-orders now available for Lady Vago's Malediction! Cover reveal, links, and more...<p>We are excited to announce that Lady Vago's Malediction now has a release date! Our spooky lady will make her debut on September 27th, 2020. Here in upstate New York, that's right around when the fall foliage is at its peak. We'll look on in wonder and dread as the brightly colored leaves get swept away by increasingly colder and more ominous winds - the perfect mood for a gothic fantasy, we think. </p><p>You can pre-order the Kindle edition <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Vagos-Malediction-K-M-Beach-ebook/dp/B08GS694LW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=lady+vagos+malediction&qid=1598562121&sr=8-1">here</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaGRrNg4VetBQIxvIOFjhR5yk_kKrmUfKXDcKiaDYLpfWBMD0OjK1MnyK2BnvV4kmdYnYslKzrf8A3wlWXf9NjI2MIl0KEmWB2KRbUv5CfvbOP1V1iHqQRO32U8zjoTH2kguvzaC1sv6J/s2048/Final+Ebook+Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaGRrNg4VetBQIxvIOFjhR5yk_kKrmUfKXDcKiaDYLpfWBMD0OjK1MnyK2BnvV4kmdYnYslKzrf8A3wlWXf9NjI2MIl0KEmWB2KRbUv5CfvbOP1V1iHqQRO32U8zjoTH2kguvzaC1sv6J/s640/Final+Ebook+Cover.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cover art by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SketchedUp84">SketchedUp</a></div><p>For those of you eager for the paperback, Amazon unfortunately doesn't allow pre-orders for those. We'll share photos of the proof copy once it arrives, though, assuming nothing goes wacky during printing. The horror of a haunted castle is nothing compared to washed out green and blue ink!</p><p><b>For reviewers:</b> if you are on <a href="https://booksprout.co/arc/44727/lady-vago-s-malediction">Booksprout</a>, we do still have some Advanced Reader Copies up for grabs there. If you don't use Booksprout but would like an ARC, reach out via our contact form.</p><p>There's still a lot to do to prepare for release day, and we've got other surprises in the works, too. More on those as they come. In the meantime, getting this far in the process has been a great joy during this blight-stricken year.</p><p>Thanks to everyone who has supported us so far, and we'll surely have more people to thank in the days to come.</p><p>Be safe, stay healthy, and we'll talk to you soon! </p><p> - Matt and Ash</p><p><br /></p>AKMBeachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140621430234408719noreply@blogger.com1