Forever on Broadway update... and Forever Cursed

The cover art for Forever on Broadway is coming along nicely and I'm getting feedback trickling in from one last beta reader. But the holidays are coming and my own art activity is increasing-- I've joined Arts Olympia and they have multiple shows members can enter. Rather than stress deadlines, I'm planning to push back the Forever on Broadway release to 2027. 

That said, I'm well past 15,000 words into Forever Cursed. It will probably be my longest book so far, but I think odds are in favor of being able to release it in 2027 as well. Why am I optimistic? Well, I'm going to try making it as a writer and artist instead of working a day job and treating them as hobbies. That makes a big difference, especially as stress had slowed my writing significantly. 

The photo below will be my author picture for Forever on Broadway. I can't take myself too seriously, and cosplaying the topics of the novels makes the photo more fun. Yes, Rafael is going to Fairyland, and it's a world with its own strange rules. 

Forever on Broadway

 The final draft is done-- feedback from the second round of beta readers has started. The cover art, once again by Allan Krummenacker, is underway. 

Rafael Jones' musical talents are as important as his detective skills as he goes undercover to join a Broadway production  called "A Midsummer's Nightclub", a musical based on A Midsummer Night's Dream set in the 20s. Actors, dancers, and musicians have been disappearing and a distraught producer needs Raf's help to find out why and get the show back on track for opening night. 

***

I know it's been a long gap between books, but stress slowed things down for a while-- everything is picking back up now: I've already got Forever Cursed, the next book, off to a very good start. 

I'll also be posting more often to update, show some work in progress, and share things I think may be of interest.

The Forever Detective Series "Catch-Up" Sale is Happening NOW

WELCOME TO THE FOREVER DETECTIVE SERIES

FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS SERIES, HERE'S A QUICK OVERVIEW...

New York City, 1947. Rafael Jones, former police officer, has returned from Europe, where he oversaw a special international team who gathered evidence for the Nuremberg trials. On opening up for business as a private investigator, he quickly has two cases lined up. Little does he know that these two cases have a hidden and dreadful connection. 

Rafael is about to discover another side to the city, and the world, that he never dreamed existed. For he soon finds himself facing the supernatural in the form of a cult run by vampires. Their leader is both surprising, and yet a historical figure who was described by his assassins as almost impossible to kill.

Impressed by our hero, he decides to make Rafael his new 'brother' in blood, hoping to make him part of the plan to retake Russia as a new Tsar.

However, Rafael has other plans. Although tainted by leader's vampiric blood, he holds on to hope and humanity. Most of all, he learns to use the new abilities that come with his condition his own way, in order to keep the innocent (both human and otherworldly) safe, one case at a time.

With each new adventure (book) he learns more about the occult world, both through strange encounters, and through research with the help of friends-- largely, those who had helped the Allies in the war as a covert team (code-named W. I. T. C. H. Hunters) dealing with the supernatural. In spite of everything, he remains grounded, using interviews, money trails, and other traditional procedural steps to research his cases.

If all that sounds good to you then now is a great time to grab some or even all of the books in this ongoing series during this huge sale. Just take a look at the price lists below: 

CATCH-UP SALE PRICES:

$10.00 for book 1 in the series "Forever's Too Long" plus $2.50 shipping and handling

Link: “Forever’s Too Long” (Book #1)

$20.00 "Starter Set" which includes books 1 and 2 (Forever's Too Long and Forever Haunted) plus $4.00 shipping and handling

Link: “Catch-Up” Starter Set – Forever’s Too Long and Forever Haunted

All 5 novels $50.00 plus $10.00 shipping and handling

Link: “Catch-Up Bargain”: All 5 Novels

$55.00 for the complete set of books (all 5 novels, plus the short story collection   "W. I. T. C. H. Hunters Forever") plus $10.00 shipping and handling

Link: Ultimate “Catch-Up” Bundle: 5 novels Plus Short Story Collection

But wait... what if you've already been following the series and have fallen behind? Or maybe you've missed one or two and have been reading them out of order (not that you have to, each story stands on its own) and you simply want to catch up? 

Well, here's your chance to grab whichever book(s) you've been missing at a discount price. Each volume you order will be signed (and personalized upon request) by the author herself. for just $12.00 per book (normally $15.00 each), plus shipping and handling

Link: Our Book Store

AND... if you buy 3 or more of any of the books in the above image at the sale price of $12.00 each, you can use this coupon code for an additional 25% off:

 

TFDS25

 

*NOTE: The code only applies to 3 or more books from this group. It will not apply to other books, bundles, or starter sets*

So go ahead and take advantage of this huge sale. And remember, the holiday season is upon us. And these books make great gifts for family and friends who are fans of vampires, wizards and urban fantasy. 

****TIMING IS IMPORTANT: If you want any of these signed books before the holiday comes, please place your order as soon as possible so we can get them out to you right away. But please be aware, while we will do everything we can to get the books to you on time, we do not control the post office, UPS, or Fed-Ex. So again ,please place your orders as soon as you can - thank you!****

And if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us by leaving a comment below, or e-mailing either of us at:

helenkrummenacker@gmail.com

 or 

allan.krummenacker@gmail.com

An Update and Some Other News...

Allan here to apologize for the fact that I've been a big reason for Helen's absence on this blog. We've been dealing with my health issues to get a firm diagnosis, as well as dealing with disability. I won't go into great detail, but it was enough to sidetrack both of us for the last few months. 

Plus, Helen has had her own share of health issues as well, and between the two of us there's been a lot to contend with, which has taken her away from her writing. However, she has been making progress on the next installment of the Forever Detective Series, which will be called "Forever on Broadway". As the title implies, Rafael will be finding himself deep in a theater mystery which will also take him even deeper into the realm of the paranormal than ever before. What wonders and dangers await him? Well, you'll have to sit tight for a while but trust me it will be worth the wait.

In the meantime, we're happy to announce that we now have an online store at: 

The Krummenacker Library Store

Here you can purchase personalized and autographed paperbacks of most of the Forever Detective Series. 

I say most, because at the moment we are currently sold out of "W. I. T. C. H. Hunters Forever". But we will be expecting more soon so keep checking out the site.

You'll also soon be finding other works by Helen and myself, including personalized and signed copies of our Para-Earths Series of books. These paranormal/sci-fi books have been likened to the works of HP Lovecraft and Dean Koontz. Again, not all the books are available at this time (namely "The Bridge" is currently being re-edited due to formatting and other issues which took place when the book was switched from Createspace to Amazon). I hope to have this fully rectified by the end of this year. On the same note, each book in this series acts as a standalone tale and can be fully enjoyed individually. 

Currently, we are working on adding still more items, plus we hope to open a 2nd branch to the store... but more on that another day. 

For now, thank you all for your patience and continued visits here. And please come and check out our online store at the link provided above. So, if you or someone you know would really love one or more of these exciting stories (or even the whole set) signed by Helen, go ahead and place an order. Copies are available for mailing anywhere in the United States (although shipping rates may vary for Hawaii and Alaska - I'll have to look into that and update the site accordingly). 

And if any of our readers from Canada or overseas would like any signed copies, I'll be looking into what will be involved into the costs of shipping and update you all as soon as I have more information.

That's all for now. But keep coming back here for more news and updates. Take care and Happy Reading everyone! 

When you're only half alive...

 Time to get serious, friends and readers. I handled writing about vampires a little differently because I've had a health problem that left me with fatigue, aches, and a certain numbness about my body. I often thought of it as feeling only half-alive, and so I wanted to write vampirism as a disability (as well as having powers). I never believed it would be a glamorous experience for anyone, and having the physical sensations of it being part of the struggle of a normally energetic and positive hero seemed like a good way to make a story about vampires more interesting, and at the same time make it relatable. 

Turned out, I've had low cortisol issues for a long time. And after the first major surgery of my life, I spent a few months at "incompatible with life" levels. 

I got diagnosed and am getting treated. But it turns out I have some other health things going on (maybe because I didn't have enough cortisol to heal properly). I don't have clear diagnoses or know where this is going. It is affecting me enough that I am only doing a little bit of writing.

However, I will write a synopsis of the path forward for Rafael that will be published on my blog if at any time it becomes clear the series will not continue. I know firsthand how awful it is to have a series just stop without a proper conclusion..

There's nothing that will stop me from getting back to it when I am able to, though. I love these characters tremendously and have some great short stories for Medium Brown as well as the main line novels. 

"Forever Haunted" Has Received a Kirkus Review...

"A well-paced and quirky love letter to classic crime fiction."

In the second installment of Helen Krummenacker’s Forever Detective series, a private investigator looks into a 20-year-old murder while also adjusting to his new life as a vampire. 

In the summer of 1947, Rafael Jones, a former cop and now a P.I., is hired by his friend Jimmy Clarke to debunk a rumor that the upstate New York family home Jimmy recently inherited is haunted, so that he can more easily sell the property. The rumor, however, is shown to be true when Rafael wakes up to a gruesome sight: a ghostly reenactment of a woman’s murder. He’s no stranger to the supernatural; a few months before, he was turned into a vampire himself. He knows that to help the woman’s spirit move on, he must identify her killer and bring him to justice. After establishing a friendly, albeit limited, rapport with the woman’s ghost through music, and with the help of clairvoyant Methuselah “Medium” Brown, he learns that her name is Phoebe Travers and that she was killed in 1925 by an ex-boyfriend who was the father of her child—a mobster named Lorenzo Russo. Rafael, with the help of friends, former police colleagues, and long-distance girlfriend Clara Thomas, gets to work tracking down Russo, finding new evidence, and going head-to-head with the mob. As he investigates, he teaches himself how to control his new vampiric abilities and use them to his advantage—all while resisting the urge to bite someone. 

In this sequel to Forever’s Too Long (2019), Helen Krummenacker presents a highly entertaining paranormal murder mystery. Rafael is a smart, compassionate protagonist who narrates his story with wry humor, especially when it comes to his vampiric condition: “It was nice to be sitting next to a pretty woman without feeling an itch around my teeth,” he says during his first interaction with Phoebe’s ghost. The cast of characters is impressively diverse and well developed, and the story moves quickly while offering sharp and detailed descriptions. Fans of vintage detective stories will enjoy this novel’s supernatural twist on a genre full of gruff detectives, organized crime, and femmes fatales.

Want to get a copy of this exciting mystery for yourself or someone you know? Here are the links, just remember to choose the one that works best for you...

E-BOOK, PAPERBACK, AUDIOBOOK LINKS:

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0821Z6RMY

AmazonUK Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0821Z6RMY

AmazonCA Link: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0821Z6RMY

AmazonAU Link: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0821Z6RMY

E-BOOK (only) LINKS:

Smashwords Link: Forever Haunted (smashwords.com)

Barnes and Noble Link: Forever Haunted (The Forever Detective, #2) by Helen Krummenacker | eBook | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Kobo Link: Forever Haunted eBook by Helen Krummenacker - EPUB Book | Rakuten Kobo United States

Apple Books Link: Forever Haunted on Apple Books

AUDIO (only) LINKS:

Audible Link: https://www.audible.com/pd/Forever-Haunted-Audiobook/B08XZQ7TCW?asin=B08XZQ7TCW

Itunes: https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/forever-haunted-the-forever-detective-book-2-unabridged/id1556807833

The 1/2 Off Year End Sale Is Coming To An End Soon... Only 2 Days Left!!!

     

Your last chance to grab the e-book version of each/all of the Forever Detective Series of books for 1/2 off the regular price is ending soon. Remember, the sale ends on January 2nd so act now!

Here are the links:

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/HelenKrummenacker8614

AmazonUS: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L5GM2B4?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tukn

AmazonUK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08L5GM2B4?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tukn

AmazonCA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08L5GM2B4?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tukn

AmazonAU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08L5GM2B4?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tukn

1/2 Off... The Entire Forever Detective Series At Amazon!

 THE 1/2 OFF SALE IS NOW HAPPENING ON AMAZON TOO!!!!

Now is your best chance to find my entire e-book collection for a promotional price at Amazon as part of my 2023 End of Year Sale!

Included in this deal are:

PLUS my 1st anthology...

 

and my latest novel...

Each are available at only 50% of the regular price from today through January 1st, 2024! 

And remember if you wish to gift e-books to a friend, you can schedule when that gift will arrive to their e-mail on a specific date, like say… a birthday, or Christmas Day, or maybe New Year’s?

Use the link below, that is correct for you, and grab some copies for yourself/someone you know who loves vampire detectives in a noir setting:

LINK: 

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L5GM2B4?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tukn

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08L5GM2B4?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tukn

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08L5GM2B4?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tukn

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08L5GM2B4?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tukn

1/2 off Sale Over on Smashwords...

 HAPPENING NOW!!!!

Now is your best chance to find my entire e-book collection for a promotional price at @Smashwords as part of their 2023 End of Year Sale! 

Included in this deal are:

 

my 1st anthology...

     

and my latest novel...

Each are available at only 50% of the regular price from today through January 1st!  

And remember Smashwords carries the following e-book formats: Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo and others.

Use the link below to get yours, or if you wish to gift e-books to a friend, you can schedule when that gift will arrive to their e-mail on a specific date.

LINK: Smashwords – About Helen Krummenacker, author of 'Forever Festive', 'Forever Haunted', 'Forever In Deep', etc.

Signed Copies of Forever Chosen Are Now Available...

Look what arrived yesterday...

This means that signed copies are now available and can be sent to you or someone on your Christmas list (although please note we cannot guarantee delivery will arrive in time for Christmas due to slow postal service and lateness of the books having just reached us).

To order, just contact my husband, Allan at: 

 allan.krummenacker@gmail.com

Signed copies are $15.00, plus $3.00 for shipping

This 5th installment of the Forever Detective Series is already gaining 5-star ratings and reviews*, so why not check it out and see what new mischief our favorite vampire detective is finding himself in his latest outing. 

*the review:

Caroline D. Henry

5.0 out of 5 stars I've Become a Forever Fan of the Forever Detective

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2023

Verified Purchase

Disclaimer up front--I know the author and was a beta reader for this book, however that is a very different experience than just reading it through purely for the pleasure of it. I purchased the e-book of Forever Chosen two days ago, and I've zipped through it as a fun read. Reluctant vampire and dedicated detective Rafael Jones comes up against his archenemy Russian criminal vampire Rasputin who hopes to corrupt and co-opt the Zionist movement in post World War II New York. This guy is very powerful, and it's a good thing Raf has the aid of a demonologist, a dryad, a sharp secretary, a NYPD cop, and maybe a Russian princess--and you will find yourself hoping that's enough. Helen Krummenacker successfully combines the detective noir genre with elements of fantasy and legend. I can hardly wait for the next book.

Also, if you're a fan of Smashwords here's another piece of news...

I’m excited to announce the entire Forever Detective Book series (5 in all) will be promoted on Smashwords as part of their 2023 End of Year Sale starting on December 15! Be sure to follow me for more updates and links to the promotion for my books and many more! 

Again, this sale will start on December 15th and will end on January 1st, 2024. Here's the link you will need:

https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/ 

*NOTE: Smashwords offers e-books in the following formats: Barnes and Noble for Nook, Kobo, Apple, Overdrive, and Scribd

**ALSO NOTE: You can have an e-book sent to someone and even schedule when it is to arrive through both Smashwords and Amazon.

HAPPY READING AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!