Greetings from Bianca D'Arc

Who could have guessed when we decided to band together to do a group blog all those years ago that it would become not only a blog, but a convention, and that our own Stella would step up and become Con Director Extrordinaire? Certainly not me. But I'm so proud to be part of this group and to have been here from the beginning.

That said, I think some of you may realize by now that I can't attend this year's con in NOLA. A lot about my life has changed pretty drastically in the last two to three years and for personal reasons, I just can't make it to New Orleans this year. But I really hope you all have a wonderful time! Judging by the extravaganza last year in Phillie, I'm certain you will!

So now I feel obligated to give myself a little plug (that's part of what blogging is for after all, isn't it?) and mention my first (and second) self-publishing ventures.

By now you might've heard about KING OF SWORDS, a novella that had been previously released in a somewhat limited fashion (as part of an anthology) by Phaze Books. Well, it's out now - on its own - and it has a sequel!

KING OF CUPS is the second book in what will be a four-part series of novellas based on the kings of the tarot and playing card decks. What most people don't realize today is that each of the tarot suits (swords, cups, staves and pentacles) corresponds to a suit in the deck of playing cards we all know and love. Also, each of the kings represents a real king from history.  I've used their names and suits for the heroes and titles of each of my books. And to tie it all together, in each story, one of the characters reads cards to tell fortunes. ;-)

Here are the blurbs, in case you want to know more:

King Of Swords - Arcana, Book 1

David is a newly retired special ops soldier, looking to find his way in the unfamiliar civilian world. His first step is to visit an old friend, the owner of a bar called The Rabbit Hole on a distant space station. While there, he meets an intriguing woman who holds the keys to his future.

Adele has a special ability, handed down through her mother's line. Adele can sometimes see the future. She doesn't know exactly why she's been drawn to the space station where her aunt deals cards in a bar that caters to station workers and ex-military. She only knows that she needs to be there. When she meets David, sparks of desire fly between them and she begins to suspect that he is part of the reason she traveled halfway across the galaxy.

Pirates gas the inhabitants of the station while Adele and David are safe inside a transport tube and it's up to them to repell the invaders. But what good can one retired soldier and a civilian do against a ship full of alien pirates? Both will discover there's more to each other than meets the eye as they do their best to overcome the alien threat and retake the station.

Buy now from: Amazon, B&N, Smashwords

King Of Cups - Arcana, Book 2

Alexander is the proprietor of a working class bar called The Rabbit Hole. One of its best features, in his opinion is the petite woman who deals cards and sometimes foresees the future.

Della is an undercover operative working for the same intelligence service as Alexander, though he's only just come to realize it. She follows her visions of the future, with her employers' encouragement, to put her in the right places at the right times to do good for the human race. Lately, the right place has been in Alex's bar and the right time is quickly approaching. It'll be a turning point, both for her personally and for the warring races of humanity and jit'suku.

When the heir to the jit'suku empire is attacked, Della and Alex race to save him. Taken aboard the alien ship, Della and Alex must deal with a series of unforeseen events which put their lives and millions of humans and jit'suku in dire jeopardy. Can they find solutions for not only their people, but for themselves and the forbidden love they discover between them?

Buy now from: Amazon, B&N, Smashwords

Both of these books are now available in ebook formats from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ARe, Smashwords (for all other formats), and several other ebook retailers. Enjoy!

Bianca D'Arc
Come over to The D'Arc Side... www.biancadarc.com