I have been putting off this post for days. It makes me feel uncomfortable to talk about my upcoming book in the midst of the tragedy here in Paris. Especially a book about hot guys with swords. Although maybe hot guys with swords is exactly what we need right now: a distraction from real life. One that includes hot guys. And swords.

I don’t think I can do the whole Julesfest I planned. I can’t go quite that far. But I can tell you what I think you will like about DIE ONCE MORE. These aren’t quite spoilers, but I wasn’t going to tell you this much.

For those who are new to my books, the DIE FOR ME books are set in Paris and center around beings called “revenants.” The good revenants, bardia, die saving someone’s life, resurrect, then spend eternity in a cycle of sacrificing themselves for humans and reanimating at the age they died the first time. (Thus immortal.) The evil revenants, numa, died betraying someone to their death, and are kicked into the same eternal cycle of betrayal, murder and reanimation.

DIE ONCE MORE is the 5th book in the series. It is a digital novella (ebook only) and is from Jules’s point of view. Jules Marchenoir is an artist who died at age 19 at the battle of Verdun (1916) while saving artist Fernand Léger’s life. He is charming. Very. And, unsurprisingly, many readers liked him as much, if not more, than the main character of the books, Vincent. This book starts when Jules leaves Paris for New York. And this is why I think you will like it. I wasn’t going to give these details, but after last week, I think I will. Here are 11 Things.

1. I made some of the heroes of 9/11 into bardia. Meaning, I honored some of those who died saving lives that day by making them into superheroes. Because that was the biggest praise I could give them as a novelist.

2. I suggested (or Theo Gold did, rather) that bin Laden was a numa overlord. Because that was the biggest f*** you I could give him as a novelist.

3. You will see what it means to be a revenant in New York. Different ways of doing things. Amazing headquarters in a place I used to know in Brooklyn (where I lived for years).

4. There is a dramatic bardia/numa faceoff with the guns + sword combo that New York revenants use.

5. Jules will meet someone else. And believe me when I tell you it’s not insta-love. Insta-hate, more like.

6. She is awesome and kick-ass.

7. I take you back to Paris. Everyone in the old books is there.

8. I take you to Brittany, to where Bran lives amongst the ancient standing stones. (And is “healing” Louis.)

9. Kate and Jules have A Talk.

10. There is a wedding (Ambrose and Charlotte).

11. There is a kiss. On a roof. Overlooking Paris.

Is that enough? Again…I want to avoid song and dance. So I’ll just say…my novella DIE ONCE MORE is releasing in 2 weeks on Feb 3, and can be pre-ordered now. (Amazon, B&N) It costs less than a cup of coffee (in Starbucks), which makes me happy that it’s easily accessible to everyone. And I would be honored if you read it.

Sorry not to use pictures of shirtless guys this time. I hope you’ll understand that even promoting the book in the same space I’ve been talking about tragedy makes me feel a bit compromised. But I will follow up with some excerpts in the next 2 weeks. And I will answer questions. Let me know what you want.

(For those who ABSOLUTELY NEED pictures of shirtless guys, here is a link to the last Julesfest.)