The Torment of Renegade X is Out!

The next installment in the Renegade X saga is here!!! The Torment of Renegade X is a 94-page novella that takes place between books 3 and 4, and the ebook is available now with the print version coming very soon (should be within the next week).

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The annual first-year camping trip is supposed to be the bonding experience of a lifetime. At least, it is as long as you’re not the only half villain going to an all-hero school. Damien knows he’s more likely to make new enemies than new friends on this trip, and he’s dreading spending a week in the woods with people who hate him. But he also knows that the school and his classmates would love nothing more than for him to stay home, and he’s not going to give them the satisfaction.

 

At camp, his cabin mates turn out to be douchebags—big surprise—but what Damien wasn’t counting on is that they not only hate him, but they have powers they can use on him without getting caught. Which they do. A lot. And Damien can’t fight back without risking getting kicked out of camp, if not out of school completely. As the week drags on and Damien’s life becomes a living hell, he starts to question whether it’s worth putting up with all this just to prove a point or if he should call it quits and go home. But going home means giving in, and if Damien wants to show his cabin mates that they can’t win, he’ll need to pull himself together and figure out a way to get revenge without using his powers.

Upcoming Releases

First things first, The Phobia of Renegade X, book 4 in the Renegade X series, is complete! It finished at 116k, which is just shy of book 3’s 118k. I’m hoping to have it out by the end of August, but that will depend on when the cover art is finished, so it might be more like early September.

In the meantime, I’m writing another novella, this one set between books 3 and 4. So you won’t have to read it to read book 4, but it is technically what comes next. It’s called The Torment of Renegade X and is about Damien and Riley (and Amelia) spending a mandatory week at superhero camp, much to Damien’s dismay. My goal is to have it out by the end of this month, so expect that soon!

And I set up the newsletter so that new subscribers now get a copy of Damien Locke’s Guide to Golden City, a fun travel guide I originally wrote as part of the Kickstarter for book 3.  It’s 18 pages of all-new anecdotes with snarky commentary between Damien and Riley, along with a few drawings. If you’d like to get a copy, there’s a subscription form in the  upper left of the sidebar (though if you’re reading this from a different site, go to www.chelseamcampbell.com first), and you can unsubscribe at any time. (I am totally that person who subscribes for the free gift and then immediately cancels, so who am I to judge?) If you’re already a subscriber, I’ve sent out a newsletter with a link to the file, so it should show up in your inbox very soon!

And if you’re a Dragonbound fan, yes, there will be more Dragonbound! It’s too early for me to promise any dates (I mean, I’d like to, but I’m always wrong, so maybe it’s better if I don’t), but for now just know that I’m working on it and you will have more Virginia and Amelrik. :)

Oh, and since I’m covering all the bases here, yes, there will be more audiobooks. I’m hoping to get at least one Renegade X audiobook out next February, but this is super tentative right now because it depends on some factors I don’t really have control of. BUT if you are one of the people waiting for them, take heart, because the audiobooks are very important to me, too, and more will be coming.

Funded!

The Kickstarter for book 4 is now FUNDED! That means that I will for sure be able to publish The Phobia of Renegade X, and it will have cover art by Raul Allen, who did the gorgeous wrap covers for books 1-3. A HUGE THANKS goes out to everyone who’s pledged already, and to anyone who’s helped spread the word about the campaign. I couldn’t do this without you guys, and I’m so excited that this book is going to be a reality and that I’m going to get to share it with all of you!

And there are still FOUR DAYS left to go, so if you haven’t pledged, there’s still time to get your early bird copy of Phobia, or a signed book, or the superhero definition mug! (Actually, those should both be “and/or” instead of just “or,” because the signed books and the mug all come with the early bird copy, but I thought “and/or” didn’t look as cool. But still, you know what I mean.) Backers also get their superhero or supervillain name listed in the back of the book, so if you’ve always wondered what the Citizens of Golden City section was about or wanted to be part of it, now’s your chance.

Kickstarter Update

Thanks to an AMAZING first couple days, the Kickstarter for The Phobia of Renegade X is already at 60%! And there are still 25 days to go!

If the campaign gets funded with time leftover, I’ll do stretch goals aimed at getting the next audiobook done again (crossing my fingers for it) like I did last time.

Some updates about the Kickstarter:

  • I added a MUG AND EBOOKS tier for people who just want to get the superhero definition mug and the ebooks.
  • There are 2 NAME A CHARACTER incentives left and 1 ULTIMATE NAME A CHARACTER (where you get to name a character, and you get hardback copies of all four books, and a paperback copy of the novella, and the superhero definition mug). If you’ve ever wanted to be able to open a Renegade X book, point to a character’s name, and say, “That’s me!” then this is your chance.

A huge thanks to everyone who’s pledged so far! I wouldn’t be able to do this without you guys.

The Phobia of Renegade X Kickstarter

The Kickstarter for The Phobia of Renegade X, book 4 in the Renegade X series, is LIVE! It just started and will run for the next 30 days, ending on May 11th, 2017. All backers will get to read book 4 as soon as it’s done, which is expected to be in May (so, basically, when the Kickstarter ends or very soon after). The official release date won’t be until July or August, depending on when the cover art is finished. (Kickstarter backers get two ebook copies–one as soon as I’m done with no cover, and another finished copy with the cover art.)

Besides getting to read the book early, there are also a few name a character incentives (these are extremely limited and going fast–one is already gone as I write this!), and you can get this cool superhero definition mug, with the word “superhero” as defined by Damien:

 

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You can also read the first two chapters (click the link and scroll down to the bottom), and here’s the blurb for book 4, which I can’t wait to share with everyone! (The book, I mean, not the blurb, though I am really excited to finally tell you what it’s all about.)

The Phobia of Renegade X

Damien’s always been afraid of heights, but he’s never been afraid of fieldwork or of being in the spotlight. At least, he wasn’t before the gala—the one where his grandpa nearly caused a massacre and heroes from the League almost killed his best friend. Now he finds himself dreading the very things he used to love, and all he wants is to skate by in school, avoid fieldwork, and keep a low profile.

But avoiding his fears isn’t as easy as he hopes, especially when the school decides to send him and his best friend to hunt down a dangerous criminal. And as if that isn’t bad enough, it turns out he also has to pass a flying test if he wants to make it through the school year, even though his debilitating fear of heights means it’s pretty much impossible.

In order to pass the test and catch a criminal, Damien accepts help from unlikely allies. But when his mission goes south and he accidentally lets a terrible weapon fall into the wrong hands, he’ll have to overcome his doubts and save his friends from a psychotic killer bent on using his worst fears against him.

Dragonbound Comes out August 9th!

That’s right, I have a new book coming out! In, like, three weeks-ish. I’m pretty damn proud of this one, and I think if you’re a Renegade X fan, you’ll love Dragonbound, too. It’s not about superheroes (obviously) but it does have a similar tone and humor.

Virginia St. George has never been good at following the rules. After all, she’s supposed to be a paladin. She’s supposed to have inherited magic, like her older sister, that can bind a dragon’s powers. She’s supposed to be able to wield a sword, like her best friend, and chop a dragon’s head off in one blow. And she’s supposed to be able to leave the safety of the barracks, like everybody else, but watching a dragon rip her mother apart years ago ruined that option, leaving her with an intense fear of the outside world.

 

And, above all things, she’s most certainly not supposed to talk to Amelrik, the shapeshifting dragon boy her family’s keeping locked up in the dungeon. Even if he saved her life. But if there’s one thing everyone can agree on, it’s that he’s a dangerous criminal who can’t be trusted, and that she should stay as far away from him as possible.

 

But when dragons kidnap her sister during a routine hunting mission, Amelrik offers up insider information that just might save her. That is, if anyone would listen. Now Virginia must make a choice: heed her family’s warnings and play it safe, or confront her worst fears and put her trust in a dangerous enemy. 

Though all you really need to know about it is the first line:

I want to punch everyone at this party in the face.

And I got my author copies of the audiobook, and HOLY CRAP, it’s amazing. Like, I don’t think I’m ever going to bother reading it myself now, because the narrator, Fiona Hardingham, does such an amazing job acting it all out and doing the voices and accents and stuff. So I highly recommend snagging a copy of the audiobook, which should be part of Whispersync, since it’s a Skyscape book, which I believe means you can get the audiobook for only $1.99 when you buy the ebook, which is $3.99, which is pretty good for an audiobook. I think by itself it’s around $7 or something.

I am pretty picky about narrators, and I had absolutely nothing to do with this audiobook and had no idea who was doing it or how it would turn out (completely unlike with Renegade X, where I am in charge), and I admit I was kind of… worried. But to no avail! Because it turns out it’s awesome!

I’ve had a lot of hangups the past couple years (during the worst of the chronic illness that is thankfully no longer quite so chronic) with being able to tell if what I’m writing is good at all. I mean, I know it is, but sometimes I just feel so cruddy from illness that I can’t tell, because all I feel is cruddiness, and that’s not how it’s supposed to feel when I write something awesome. But hearing my books in audio format makes me forget about all the stupid crap I was worried about that doesn’t actually matter (read: problems made up in my head) and makes me experience it how it really is. So I’m doubly glad to have such amazing narrators for my work!

And I know this post is about Dragonbound, but since I post so sporadically (I couldn’t remember the opposite word for “often,” and then I thought of that scene in Clueless), I’ll include some Renegade X update info.

So, what is happening with book 4, you ask? Lots of cool stuff! But while I’m a lot better health-wise than I was last year or even six months ago, I’m still slow. I hate admitting that, both to you and to myself, but it’s true. (I used to be a fast writer. Sometimes I still am. But probably not today.) So… I’m still working on it. I’m really hoping to have it out sometime this fall, but I can’t really say (and I’m usually wrong, so take that prediction with a grain of salt).

But speaking of amazing audiobooks, when is the audiobook for book 3 coming out?! I know, I know, it’s been, like, a year since the last audiobook came out. But it’s all dependent on when I get the next book out (because audiobooks are expensive and I have to, like, pay for it), and when my narrator is available to work on it. So take whenever I get book 4 out and add a few months to it. But it will exist! Eventually!

Is Book 4 the last one? Please say no, please say no. Nope, not the last one! I’m taking this one book at a time, I don’t have, like, some grand plan or anything, but I do know that this isn’t the end. So, yay for not having grand plans, I guess. I’ll admit I’m not very good at planning ahead, but I am good at making the current book awesome and the series continuable, so there you go.

P.S. I forgot to mention that there’s a Goodreads giveaway going on for Dragonbound right now. Skyscape is giving away 100 ebook copies, and you can go here and enter.

The Haunting of Renegade X is out!

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 This novella takes place between books 2 and 3.

Damien doesn’t believe in ghosts, even when he hears the voice of his ex-best friend Pete calling to him from the Banking and Finances building, the scene of his death. His new friend Riley doesn’t believe in ghosts, either, but when Damien confides in him about what he thinks he heard, the two of them decide to investigate. On Halloween night.

A decision they come to regret as soon as Pete’s ghost traps them inside the building. It turns out Pete’s got unfinished business with Damien concerning the collapse of their friendship. Damien’s always blamed Pete for how it ended, but now Pete forces him to acknowledge the part he played in it. In order to survive the night, Damien will not only have to figure out how to fight a ghost, but he’ll have to tell the truth about his past–even when that truth threatens to destroy his new friendship with Riley.

The ebook is available now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble,  iTunes, and Kobo. And I’m working on getting the paperback version up ASAP.

The Haunting of Renegade X – blurb

I’m almost done with The Haunting of Renegade X, the novella that takes place between books 2 and 3. I’ve only got a couple more scenes to write, and with my recent health improvements, I can actually write steadily every day. Which means this story will actually be out in a few days. It should also mean fewer delays between books. Oh, and that I can function and feel like a real person. Whatever.

Anyway, here’s what it’s all about:

Damien doesn’t believe in ghosts, even when he hears the voice of his ex-best friend Pete calling to him from the Banking and Finances building, the scene of his death. His new friend Riley doesn’t believe in ghosts, either, but when Damien confides in him about what he thinks he heard, the two of them decide to investigate. On Halloween night.

A decision they come to regret as soon as Pete’s ghost traps them inside the building. It turns out Pete’s got unfinished business with Damien concerning the collapse of their friendship. Damien’s always blamed Pete for how it ended, but now Pete forces him to acknowledge the part he played in it. In order to survive the night, Damien will not only have to figure out how to fight a ghost, but he’ll have to tell the truth about his past–even when that truth threatens to destroy his new friendship with Riley.

This story started out as part of the kickstarter for book 3. For one of the stretch goals, I said I’d write a short story holiday special. Backers got to vote on which holiday the story would be about, and the votes were overwhelmingly for Halloween. When I started thinking about what this story would even be, I had no idea what I was going to do with it. I was picturing something short and light. Maybe 5k – 10k. So of course it turned into a super intense 20k novella.

I’m planning to release it both in ebook formats and in paperback, and hopefully there’ll be an audio version at some point.

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