RUBY RELEASE: Third Grave Dead Ahead — Darynda Jones

Posted by Jan 31 2012, 12:01 am in , , , , ,

Today, I have the pleasure of announcing the release of Darynda Jones’s third Charley Davidson book,

Third Grave Dead Ahead

 

I admit, paranormal isn’t my usual read, but I have to say, I’ve loved the two previous books.  And once my husband discovered Charley Davidson and her sassy, irreverent humor, I had to hide Second Grave on the Left so I could read it first!

Now, he counts himself one of Darynda’s biggest fans and is as antsy as I am to read Third Grave.  Since he’s watching the mail, I’ll just have to be a bit more creative to outflank him yet again.  No way I’m waiting for him to finish reading it first.  When that book makes it into this house, it’s mine!

Okay, enough gushing.  Let’s get on to the good stuff.

HEEEEERRRRRRE’S  Darynda!

Thanks so much for hosting me, Gwynlyn!

So, yes, today the third in the Charley Davidson series, THIRD GRAVE DEAD AHEAD, drops. This has been an amazing journey, one that started with that Golden Heart final and led me to the phenomenal life of a Ruby Slippered Sister. A fact for which I am forever grateful.

And, as one reader pointed out, those same Rubies know my story through-and-through, God bless ‘em, But some don’t. For those who don’t know the story of how Charley Davidson was born, I’ll give you the Reader’s Digest version.

Before I even started, I knew I wanted to write paranormal. I knew I wanted to write a female lead who could deliver a series of one-liners while applying mascara without missing a beat. Or getting a smudge. And I knew I wanted her to be very down to earth despite any paranormal powers she might have. So I was lying in bed one morning, waiting for my turn in the shower, when Charley hit me. Not literally, but you understand. I wanted a little bit of Buffy, a smidgeon of Stephanie Plum, and a LOT of Lorelei Gilmore from the Gilmore Girls. Actually what I wanted was that back-and-forth banter, the lightning-fast dialogue that I love so much. And Charley Davidson was born.

Here is a quick excerpt of Third Grave.

Third Grave Dead Ahead

Chapter One

Death comes to those who wait.

And to those who don’t. So either way…

—Charlotte Jean Davidson, Grim Reaper

 There was a dead clown sitting in my living room. Since I wasn’t particularly fond of clowns, and it was way too early for anything coherent to come out of my mouth, I pretended not to notice him. Instead, I let a loud yawn overtake me and was headed toward my kitchen when I was hit by a jolt of panic. Nothing screamed awkward like greeting the dead in my birthday suit. I glanced down to make sure my girl parts hadn’t been compromised. Fortunately, I had on a white tank and pair of plaid bottoms. My girls, also known as Danger and Will Robinson, were safe.

I mentally made the sign of the cross as I padded through my humble abode. Trying not to draw attention. Wondering if the dead clown, with his gaze following my every move, had noticed me. My apartment was a comfy cross between a storage room full of pillows and a broom closet, so it wasn’t a long journey. Nor an especially enlightening one. Though I did come to a rather morbid conclusion in those few fleeting seconds. Better a dead clown in my apartment than a live one.

My name is Charlotte Davidson. Charley to some, Charlotte the Harlot to others, but that was mostly in middle school. I was born with a decent set of curves, a healthy respect for the male anatomy, and a slightly disturbing addiction to brown edibles. Other than that—and the fact that I’d also been born the grim reaper—I was about as normal as a surly girl with a private investigator’s license could be.

I strode toward Mr. Coffee with lust in my eyes. We’d had a thing for quite some time now, Mr. Coffee and I, and there was just enough of him left for one more cup. No need to make a fresh pot, to get him all hot and bothered. I popped the cup into the microwave, set it to nuke anything unfortunate enough to be caught within its grasp for 30 seconds, then raided my fridge for sustenance. Eating would keep me awake for at least another five minutes, and my one goal in life for the past couple of weeks was to stay awake at all costs. The alternative was exhausting.

After an epic search, I finally found something neither green nor fuzzy. It was a hotlink. I named it Peter, mostly because I liked naming things and partly because it seemed like the right thing to do. As soon as my java was piping hot popped him into the microwave. Hopefully the radioactive environment would sterilize Peter. No need to have little Peters running around, wreaking havoc.

As I stood contemplating world peace, the exorbitant price of designer underwear and what life would be like without guacamole, Peter beeped. I wrapped him in stale bread and ate him whilst loading my coffee up with enough imitation product to make it a health hazard. After a long draw, I plodded to my overstuffed sofa, sank into it and looked at the dead clown. He was sitting in the club chair that cattycornered my sofa, waiting patiently for me to acknowledge him.

“You know, I’m not really fond of clowns,” I said after taking another sip.

Seeing a dead person in my living room was hardly a surprise. Apparently, I was super duper bright, like the glowing lens of a lighthouse in a storm. The departed who didn’t cross when they died could see me from anywhere on Earth and, if they so chose, could cross through me to get to the other side. That was pretty much the grim reaper gig in a nutshell.

* * * * * * * *

For reasons known only to the Big Guy upstairs, Darynda Jones won the 2009 Golden Heart® for Best Paranormal Romance with her manuscript FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT. But even before that, she couldn’t remember a time she wasn’t putting pen to paper. When she was five, she would pick up a pencil and notepad, scribble utter chaos onto the page and ask her mom to read her masterpiece aloud.

To learn more about Darynda and her wonderful books, please visit her web site.

45 Comments

Comments

45 Responses to “RUBY RELEASE: Third Grave Dead Ahead — Darynda Jones”

  1. Gillian says:
    January 31, 2012 at 12:26 am

    This series is brilliant. Congrats on the new release!

    And it says something that the part that rattles me about the excerpt is the clown. Not that he’s dead, and not that she’s the Grim Reaper. Just that it’s a (((shudder))) clown. Why is something meant to be funny so creepy? Yikes! :)

    Reply
  2. Elisa Beatty says:
    January 31, 2012 at 12:54 am

    Wa-HOOOO! THIRD GRAVE is here!

    FIRST and SECOND were the two most fun reads of 2011, and I’ve been so excited for more of Charley (and Reyes….swoon!!!)

    Can’t wait to read it! (And I’ll have it on my Kindle so no one else in the house can steal it from me…bwa haha haha!)

    Congrats, Darynda!

    Reply
  3. Jenn! says:
    January 31, 2012 at 8:57 am

    Yay! I’m so excited! I love, love your unique wit, Darynda! I can’t wait to devour 3rd Grave!

    Reply
  4. laurie kellogg says:
    January 31, 2012 at 11:52 am

    Darynda, I can’t wait! (I never thought I’d feel this way about a paranormal story.) Second Grave is here waiting for me as soon as I finish getting everything ready for my own book launch on the 14th.

    Reply
  5. Kelley Bowen says:
    January 31, 2012 at 12:06 pm

    Darynda,

    I thought the release was in February so imagine my surprise when I checked out the blog this morning. Yay, and double yay! I’ll be downloading 3rd Grave right after I make more coffee. At which point, my kids will be like “Um, where’s Mumma? She was here a second ago…”

    Congratulations, and thank you for all the fun you create on the page.

    Reply
  6. Lyn says:
    January 31, 2012 at 1:01 pm

    Congratulations Darynda, wishing you many, many sales, although I’m sure they’ll come anyway!

    I was lucky enough to win ‘First Grave On The Right’ and although I haven’t had chance to read it yet (I’m in the throes of reading several books for review over the next week, plus trying to finish revising my WIP) I am really looking forward to reading it!

    Again congratulations on the release of ‘Third Grave Straght Ahead’ what fantastic titles these are!

    Reply
  7. Tammy Baumann says:
    January 31, 2012 at 2:57 pm

    Congrats,D!

    Loved this one the best! Hurry up and write 4th Grave, I’m dying to see what you come up with next!!

    And thanks for changing your mind and sparing the life of you-know-who with the new ending. ;0)

    Enjoy all your hard-earned success. You deserve it!
    Tammy

    Reply
  8. Gwynlyn MacKenzie says:
    January 31, 2012 at 3:49 pm

    Being Ed McMahon to your Johnny Carson today (good thing, too. I make a better straight man. *G*), I should probably be still, but I can’t. I’m really excited for you. All the accolades are deserved. If you can get me to not only read paranormal but truly enjoy it? Girlfriend, you have a prodigious talent!

    Reply
  9. Rita Henuber says:
    January 31, 2012 at 4:53 pm

    WooT! Congrats on another fab book. You are truly a gifted author. And your cover is gee-or-gee-us.
    Go Darynda and Charlie!

    Reply
  10. Beth Langston says:
    January 31, 2012 at 5:41 pm

    Congrats, Darynda. Can’t wait to read it!

    Reply
  11. liz talley says:
    January 31, 2012 at 6:34 pm

    Read all this this morning and forgot to comment! Congrats, D! Can’t wait to get my paws on it. Love, love, love this series and so I hope Charley stays around a little longer…like years and years!

    Reply
  12. Tina Joyce Beckett says:
    January 31, 2012 at 6:38 pm

    Congratulations, Darynda! Loved the first two in the series…can’t wait for this one!

    Reply
  13. Sally Eggert says:
    January 31, 2012 at 8:41 pm

    Congratulations, Darynda! I love the cover and the excerpt–can’t wait to read it!

    Reply
  14. Vivi Andrews says:
    February 1, 2012 at 12:21 am

    Darynda – You know that I am a huge fan of yours. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the way you described Charley – as Buffy, Stephanie Plum & Lorelei. No wonder I love her so much. She’s all the things that rock my world rolled into one amazing package.

    Very much looking forward to Third Grave and wishing you tons of success with it and all your books.

    Reply
  15. Vanessa Barneveld says:
    February 1, 2012 at 12:49 am

    Darynda, congratulations on Third Grave Dead Ahead! I just adore your work, and I can’t wait to get stuck into Charley’s latest adventure.

    Reply
  16. Shoshana Brown says:
    February 1, 2012 at 12:57 am

    I’m really late to the party, but had to pop in to say happy release day. Can’t wait to read THIRD GRAVE. Now I just have to decide whether to get it for my kindle (instant gratification) or order a hard copy (pretty, pretty cover. I love those shoes). Decisions.

    And also, I totally agree with Charlie. Clowns are scary.

    Reply
  17. Hope Ramsay says:
    February 1, 2012 at 10:27 am

    Darynda,

    I would have dropped by yesterday but my computer was not cooperating. Perhaps it had been infected with a poltergeist. Anyway, I think I love this cover the best!!!! Can’t wait to read the next installment of Charlie and her demon spawn lover. :)

    Reply
    • Darynda Jones says:
      February 1, 2012 at 3:18 pm

      Thank you, Hope!!! I am in love with this cover. I got a custom iPhone case with it on there. LOL! Good luck with your computer. I think I’d steer clear of holy water, though, if you need to exorcise it. teeheehee

      Reply
  18. Shannon says:
    February 1, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    I am really looking forward to “Third Grave”–will pick it up at the Page 1 book signing and then settle in for a weekend of happy reading! Congrats, Darynda!

    Reply

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