2012 seems to be the year of strange weather in Japan. We had the freakiest storm in April, plus snow up north, and so on. Thankfully where I am is relatively warm and not as stormy. Yesterday, I saw that the cherry blossom trees along the river had bloomed. Finally!

On the technology front, I changed my site layout, so that it changes its width, etc. depending on the screen size of your gadget. I've been meaning to optimize my site for smart phones and tablets, but just hadn't gotten around to it until now. If you see anything that's broken on your browser, please let me know via a comment. :)

As for my writing, I'm still working on the revision for the sequel to The Last Slayer. The opening and the middle didn't really work, and I was trying to save them somehow. Except…they just aren't going to work in the current form. When I get restless reading my own writing, I know it's not fair to subject others to it. But it's getting there, slowly, and I actually like how the manuscript's shaping up.

Though I never made any big new year's resolutions for 2012, I joined the gym this month to get back in shape. I was shocked to learn that I actually weigh about 10 lbs less than my pre-pregnancy weight. This doesn't mean I get to slack off because I'm in terrible shape — often out of breath after doing even the most basic physical activities (like, um, walking). Also, I want to look more toned for my brother's wedding in May and be in better physical shape for The Boy, who's becoming more and more mobile. And quick!!!

I hope your April is lovely and productive. :)

I have to apologize for the lack of updates for February and missing it again for March.

I've been super busy and exhausted from being ill for three full weeks and having to take care of a sick baby at the same time. Hero Material was down for the count as well. But we're all fine now! :)

Unfortunately, I don't have much to report on The Last Slayer sequel revision since not much got done. I had a bit of epiphany, and that's nice, but I need some time to execute it. :-)

Speaking of The Last Slayer, The Book Vixen gave a lovely review of the book here. :-) I have to say that I've been overwhelmed by the number of great reviews that people have given this book. Really makes it all worthwhile!

The weather here has been crazy — warm one week, freezing the next. I hope you are doing well wherever you are, and your February and March have been more productive and fabulous than mine, haha.

• Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to win Amanda Bonilla's Shaedes of Gray or Blood Before Sunrise. (It ends when I update M&M on Thursday!)
• Promos & Deals on The Last Slayer
  • Get a 30% rebate from All Romance eBooks (valid until January 31st)
  • Use the E50JAN12 coupon code to get an extra 5% off when you purchase The Last Slayer from Carina Press! (valid until January 31st)
  • Note: If you prefer to buy a copy of The Last Slayer from Amazon, it's 20% off there, no coupon code necessary.
• Don't forget to check out my guest blog posts / interview schedule for The Last Slayer!

Oh my gosh, I still can't believe it's already January. I keep thinking that it's still December 2011! I'm still getting used to writing 2012 in my date books and so on. How about you?

I'm grateful that 2011 ended well with the release of The Last Slayer. It hit the Carina Press Most Popular list and continues to receive a very, very gratifying number of extremely positive reviews.

“A smashing debut to a thrilling new series!” — Ex-Libris

“…one of the best I've ever read…” — Booked Up

“A gripping plot, likeable characters, well written and imaginative…I give it five stars and urge all lovers of urban fantasy to read it, especially if you're into dragons.” — Tahlia Newland

“Sometimes I read a book and I'm left wanting more. The Last Slayer was one of those books. Nadia Lee's world of demons, demon hunters, and dragonlords was convincing, and I'm so glad that it's part of a trilogy because I can't wait to read more about Ashera's quest. This is one of those books that will appeal not only to fans of urban fantasy, but also to those who enjoy more traditional fantasy reads, so if you're in either one of those categories, you are in for a treat.” — All About Romance

“If you're looking for a genre-blender of fantasy, paranormal and urban fantasy, then I totally recommend this for you.” — Basia's Bookshelf

“…a little bit Urban Fantasy, a little bit Paranormal Romance, a little bit Fantasy and a lot of beautiful world building…looking forward to the next book…” — Buckeye Girl Reads

“With an engaging wise-cracking heroine and a smouldering hero, and epic fantastical tone, I highly recommend The Last Slayer if you fancy something new.” — The Book Pushers

“I adored this book. It was reminiscent of Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter meets Thea Harrison's Elder Races series. We have a kick ass heroine in a fascinating supernatural world featuring a hierarchy of dragons and demons. Can't wait to read more!” — The Raunch Dilettante

“I absolutely recommend it to people who like dragons, demons and sexiness!” — The Yearning Mermaid

“…an Arthurian good versus evil theme…light eroticism…vivid descriptions…a phenomenal amount of world-building… I enjoyed The Last Slayer very much.” — Book Lovers Inc

“I didn't know what to expect from this book when I started it but WOW this is a seriously good fantasy…is definitely going to leave you wanting more.” — Melanie, Goodreads

Whew! To say that I'm overwhelmed would be an understatement. I've been completely blown away by all the great things people are saying about this book. Thank you, thank you, everyone!

I'm going to do a few more guest blog posts and interviews, so please check my interview / guest blog post schedule for more information if you're interested. I'll be discussing a few behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes, etc. Every single one of the guest blog posts features new material and information about how I wrote The Last Slayer and related topics.

Also, in case you missed the announcement earlier you can sample The Last Slayer from my website here.

Currently, I'm working on the sequel to The Last Slayer. It's going much more slowly than I'd like, but such is life. *sigh* At least I don't have to figure out everyone's eye color. (You can find out more about my eccentricity with eyes on Tori Book Fairy's blog on January 12th.)

I hope you all have a roaring good Year of the Dragon!

Today started out as a not so great day, one of those days when I really needed a hug.

Then I checked CarinaPress.com and saw this.

The Last Slayer is #2 on the CarinaPress.com's Most Popular list.

Thank you so much, my readers! :)

Today is December 26, and you know what that means! The Last Slayer is on sale now! :) It was supposed to be released in late October, but due to my pregnancy and so on, we pushed the release date back. (Thank god for infinitely patient agents, editors and Carina production staff!)

The Last Slayer has already started to receive some great buzz from reviewers! :-)

“I adored this book. It was reminiscent of Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter meets Thea Harrison's Elder Races series. We have a kick ass heroine in a fascinating supernatural world featuring a hierarchy of dragons and demons. Can't wait to read more!”

— The Raunch Dilettante (B)

“The Last Slayer is complex and Nadia Lee does a phenomenal amount of world building in the first book of what is to be a trilogy of stories. I enjoyed The Last Slayer very much, my only niggle is that I would have liked to read some of the story from Ramiel's POV. However an Epilogue does provide a POV switch and an intriguing lead in to the next story in the series.”

— Book Lovers Inc (4 stars)

“I've been searching for a series that makes my heart race and ache at the same time. With The Heartstone trilogy I found my match! The Last Slayer is a wonderful paranormal book with enough wit and sexyness to win me over.”

— The Yearning Mermaid (5 stars)

“Un romanzo veramente delizioso, che ho preso in mano e non sono riuscita a mettere giù fino alla parola fine, tutto in un’unica sessione. Sono molto, molto curiosa di vedere come sarà il seguito, che l’autrice sta scrivendo proprio in questo periodo, per vedere se sarà all’altezza del predecessore o se anzi riuscirà a superarlo. Una trilogia che consiglio a tutti gli amanti del fantasy e del paranormal, grandi o meno grandi.”

— Sognando Leggendo (4 stars) (My first Italian review! You can read the translation from Google Translate here)

Sample The Last Slayer from my website here.

To get the rest of the story, you can buy from Carina Press, Amazon (US, UK, DE, FR, IT, ES), B & N Nook, Books on Board, Diesel, Kobo, iBookstore (US, Canada) and Sony.

ETA: If you buy The Last Slayer from Carina Press, you can use the CARSP1011 coupon code to save $5 when you spend $10! The offer expires on January 4th.