Happy Friday, loyal readers!

It’s been a flurry of activity over here at the Fistful. Monday was the official re-launch day for The Curse Merchant, and a bevy of reviews, excerpts and guest posts have been swarming my brain. In case you missed them all, here’s a quick run down of the goods!

Excerpts from The Curse Merchant:

Meet Carmen, Dorian’s firecracker of an ex-lover at amberrisme.com.

Find out what Dorian is so afraid of in his own hex-crafting space at drunkonpop.com.

Meet Reed Malosi, a soul-monger’s enforcer and a mountain of man at Njkinny’s World of Books.

Dorian has his first run-in with The Syrian in an excerpt posted at Julie Whiteley’s The Book Review.

As Dorian slips deeper into the intrigue, he finds the Presidium is watching… excerpt at Manic Readers.

Guest Posts by yours truly:

See how the cities of Baltimore and New Orleans have affected my writing style at Mallory Heart Reviews.

I pull back the curtain and show how I crafted Dorian’s voicing at Sister Sinister Speaks. (Bonus: she’s added a glowing 5 star review of The Curse Merchant!)

Elsie Elmore engages in a whip-crack interview with yours truly at elsieelmore.com

And I set aside my typical flippancy and get a little real in my letter to my teenage self at Deer Teen Me.

I was interviewed by Emma Adams, one of my top five favorite Brits, at From the Writer’s Nest.

In this interview by another of my top five favorite Brits, Katie Young, I discuss a strange day in Moscow.

Reviews of The Curse Merchant:

5 stars and an enthusiastic review from Chelsea Jack at To Each Their Own Reviews.

Jola at Wonderful World of Books wishes the second book was out already.

Author Vicki Keire extols the deepness of setting in the city of Baltimore with her 5 star review.

4 Bites from Carol at I’m a Voracious Reader.

Kisa Whipkey calls The Curse Merchant “everything a great urban fantasy should be” in her 4 star review.

(I’ll be updating this list as new items materialize over the coming week)

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Alright, now for something fun!

I want to reward you, the Fistful Reader, with a week-long contest! One of the core aspects of Dorian Lake’s magic is the manner by which he powers his hexes and charms to the client’s karma. This is his safety-valve, keeping him from lapsing into the soul-corrupting effects of Netherwork.

So, what about karma? Have you ever seen “instant karma” in action? Ever have a moment when someone cheeses the nose of the Cosmos, just to have the Cosmos decide to exact its justice on the spot? It’s the stuff of schadenfreude theater, as we all love a good moment of comeuppance.

So, lay it on me!

In the comments below, share an anecdote of instant karma. It must be something you’ve seen in real life (we’re all on the honor system here, kiddos… and the Cosmos is watching!) Give us your best. Someone who cut you off in traffic, just to get pulled over by the cops… a mean-spirited woman in the checkout counter has her grocery bag split in the parking lot..

Spin your yarns of instant karma all week. On Friday, September 26th, I’ll be choosing TWO WINNERS via random raffle from the comments section. One winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card, the other will win a signed paperback of The Curse Merchant!

Spread the word, my good friends, and keep checking this space for more updates and tales of karma!