Latest News from Author Val Tobin
The Empress: A Promise of Rain Available for Order
The Empress: A Promise of Rain, book four in the Tales from the Unmasqued World urban fantasy series, is now available for order on Amazon and other retailers. If you enjoyed the first three installments of this series, you’ll want to find out what happens next to Dakota, Culain, Josh, Kelsey, and Philip.
Dhampir Dakota Lawson seems to have it all: beauty, intelligence, wealth, and a prince of a husband. But her past just won’t let her live happily ever after, and when it comes calling, she risks losing everything. Will her actions forever destroy the love and trust she and Culain have built?
Meanwhile, Kelsey Davis and Philip Belanger struggle with their new life together and Kelsey’s crisis of faith. When her son’s actions threaten to trigger an international incident, the trio’s very existence is threatened. Can they find a way to appease the mob and the fae without losing their lives?
Set in a familiar yet different Toronto, The Empress: A Promise of Rain is an intriguing and riveting glimpse into the lives of characters you’ll love to follow. Continuing the story begun in The Fool: New Beginnings and carried through two other sequels, The Empress: A Promise of Rain spans two worlds and follows star-crossed and fate-kissed characters on their continuing fool’s journey. Each story in the Tales from the Unmasqued World series takes inspiration from a different card in the tarot’s major arcana.
Find The Empress on Amazon and other retailers.
Cover designed by Sharon Brownlie of Aspire Book Covers.
Val Interviewed on AfterRot, Zombie Zak’s Podcast
On February 21, 2024, Val had the pleasure of joining Zombie Zak on his podcast where they talked about her horror novel, The Hunted, and her prequel short story to it, “Storm Lake.” They also discussed horror movies, novels, and many other horror- and zombie-related topics. To listen to the recording, visit the AfterRot archives.
The Fool Wins Gold Medals from Connections eMagazine
We are proud to announce that Val Tobin’s urban fantasy novel The Fool won two gold medals in Connections eMagazine’s Reader’s Choice awards. The awards, selected using a combination of readers’ and judges’ votes, are a yearly event. Votes for 2022 happened over the summer and The Fool finished not only first in its category (sci-fi/fantasy) but also first overall.
Set in a future world where supernatural creatures have come out of the closet, The Fool is book one in a series of stories drawing inspiration from cards in the tarot’s major arcana. It uses the unmasqued-world trope to populate the world with quirky and loveable characters — some you’ll even love to hate.
To join the adventure, download the ebook or order the paperback.
The High Priestess Now Available for Purchase at a Variety of Retailers
Once again venturing into urban fantasy territory, The High Priestess: Persephone’s Return incorporates the guidance from the major arcana tarot card the High Priestess into the story. The first book, based on the Fool, is called The Fool: New Beginnings. Book two is The Magician: Infinity’s End.
This third entry into the Tales From the Unmasqued World series of novels revolves around mage Jaycie Nevil. Jaycie has found herself trapped in Hades, and as if that isn’t bad enough, a goddess wants to keep her there. Always questioning her own abilities, Jaycie must learn what she’s really capable of or remain trapped in the underworld forever.
The cover design, as always, is by Patti Roberts of Paradox Book Covers and Design. It captures the essence of the story perfectly.
Download an e-book copy or order a paperback to catch up with the characters you’ve grown to know and love.
Val Tobin on Lurking for Legends Mystery Authors Live Read
Watch me try not to make a fool of myself as I participate in a live read on the Lurking for Legends podcast on YouTube with fellow authors Ann Charles and Judy Penz Sheluk, and hosts Richard H. Stephens and David M. Kelly. We read scenes from our mystery novels, including my romantic suspense novel You Again.
Podcast Interview with Val Tobin by Rachael Wright
Val Tobin: Reiki master and author of Injury, Valiant Chronicles, and Storm Lake. We talk with her about her experiences with the paranormal and how trauma affects us all.
Poison Pen a Winner
Val’s novel Poison Pen made it to #12 on ReadFreely’s list of the 50 Best Indie Books of 2018.
To view the entire list, go to their website at this link. You may need to click the link twice as on the first click their links resolve to the home page.
Three wannabe authors suffering from various mental disorders find themselves on a killer’s radar when they interfere in the investigation of a colleague’s murder.
Trailer for Author Val Tobin’s Books
Talented author Melanie P. Smith has created a new book trailer for Val Tobin and her books. Check it out on YouTube.
Earthbound #23 on 50 Best Indie Books List
Val Tobin’s Valiant Chronicles prequel, Earthbound, has made the 50 Best Indie Books of 2017 list on ReadFreely. It comes in at #23. View it on ReadFreely.
What if you could attend your own funeral?
Jayden McQueen’s day begins when she wakes up dead. But that’s the least of her worries. Turns out, she’s a murder victim, and nobody knows it but her.
Who killed her? Why? How?
In her quest to find answers, Jayden sets in motion events that propel humanity towards a future already written. But just because events appear inevitable doesn’t mean you shouldn’t fight them. Does it?
While a work of fiction, Earthbound explores concepts drawn from a variety of teachings, including those of Doreen Virtue, Ph.D., whose courses the author attended in Kona, Hawaii in 2008 and 2010; the author’s education in parapsychic science and parapsychology; and research she did for her master’s thesis on the after-effects of near-death experience.
Injury Wins Two Awards, Book of the Month, and Now Shortlisted for ReadFreely’s Best Books We’ve Read All Year Award!
Romantic suspense novel Injury won two awards in the Readers’ Choice contest sponsored by Connections eMagazine. Injury received a first-place Gold in the Romance category and a second-place Silver overall.
Injury is available in eBook and paperback from a variety of retailers.
Injury Voted Book of the Month
In October 2017, Injury was voted Book of the Month on ReadFreely. They gave it a fabulous review:
Val Tobin’s Injury is alive and vicious. It writhes with sex, the glamour of the movies, and the brutality of Dani’s past. Reading it at a time when the papers are packed full of Harvey Weinstein and the seedy underbelly of Hollywood, brings an extra visceral thrill to the book….
Read the entire review (Scroll down to October).
Injury was recently shortlisted for a new award from ReadFreely: the Best Book We’ve Read All Year award.
If you could ask your father anything right now, what would it be?
Actress Daniella Grayson would love to be able to ask her father anything at all. She puts herself in the spotlight, hoping to attract the attention of the father she believes abandoned her when she was five.
Dani’s world falls apart when her father’s remains are discovered, and her mother is arrested for the murder.
In a moment of vulnerability, she turns to the handsome and caring Robert “Cope” Copeland, her limo driver, for comfort and support.
Can the budding relationship survive betrayal, Dani’s shameful past, and her obsessive ex-boyfriend?
Cover and Title Reveals
Val’s Current Nonfiction Project Title and Cover Revealed
Val’s next project is a non-fiction book on the aftereffects of near-death experience. While the release of the book is still months away, Val’s cover designer, Patti Roberts of Paradox Book Cover Designs has been hard at work creating a new cover for it (see image at left). What do you think? Isn’t it gorgeous?
The title of the new book is Changed for Life: The Aftereffects of Near-Death Experience.
Every Year, millions of people have a near-death experience (NDE) and return from it altered permanently. Whatever the truth about the experience itself might be, there is no denying the changes that occur at every level: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. The results are positive if the experiencer is able to process the event in a healthy way. However, some experiencers have difficulty integrating the changes into their lives, which can adversely affect relationships.
Researchers, such as Dr. Raymond Moody, Dr. Kenneth Ring, and P. M. H. Atwater, have found that subjects experience a host of similar aftereffects from an NDE regardless of how the NDE was induced. As well, non-experiencers can benefit from the NDE phenomenon if, according to Ring, they are exposed to NDE research and stories, or if they consciously work to emulate NDEr beliefs and values. Dr. Raymond Moody has found similar effects on non-experiencers through the process of mirror-gazing.
Humanity stands to benefit from further NDE research and, in particular, from studying NDE aftereffects.
