Heather Hayden's Blog

Release Day: Upgrade

It’s hard to believe it’s been six years since Augment released. A lot has happened in those six years, but I never imagined the sequel would take quite so long to finish! The journey has reached its end, though, and I’m happy to announce that Upgrade is now available for purchase for Kindle and in paperback.

In this sequel to Augment, sixteen-year-old Viki and her AI friend Halle are contacted by Talbot, a rogue AI. A surprise visit from an old adversary soon casts suspicion on the rogue and its intentions, and Viki and Halle find themselves caught up in another investigation—this time, as the detectives.

Viki struggles to balance the investigation, homework, and her social life—the latter renewed by a blossoming friendship with transfer student, Darnell. Meanwhile, Halle is torn between helping a fellow AI and stopping a potentially dangerous fugitive. When Talbot denies having anything to do with several missing cyborgs from a military laboratory, Halle questions whether it can trust the other AI. After all, Talbot was developed to control the cyborgs.

As accusations fly, Halle and Viki search for the truth about Talbot—and in the process, uncover something surprising about Darnell. The truth could destroy Viki’s new friendship and place the entire world in grave danger.

Purchase your copy today!

The post Release Day: Upgrade appeared first on Heather Hayden.

Release Day: Seeds of Lore

I’m so excited to announce that the Just-Us League’s ninth anthology releases today, featuring my own twist on the phoenix myth, “The Tale of the Phoenix.”

Steeped in tradition and universal truths, mythology and folklore are two sides of the same coin. In this collection, nine stories reshape such legends into new tales brimming with adventure and magic.

Deities don’t always have the answers: a mother goddess and her loyal queen bee search for a cure as the land withers around them; a war goddess chooses a mortal champion, but her gift of power comes at a price; and a grieving god travels to the underworld to rescue his best friend.

The trickery of fae is a legend of its own: a clever young man must outwit a wily leprechaun; a lost girl finds herself at the forest queen’s mercy when she stumbles upon a solstice celebration; and a rebellious girl must find her phone after a gnome steals it to punish her disobedience.

Even mortals can become myths in their own right: a determined prince rides out to discover who keeps stealing his father’s golden apples; a dissatisfied youth charged with keeping Excalibur safe fights against the tradition forced upon him; and a teenage boy has mere hours to prevent the end of the world after his father accidentally releases an Egyptian god.

Step into ancient worlds and new locales as you rediscover old truths.

Buy Now!



Seeds of Lore Blog Tour

If you’d like to learn more, you can meet several of the authors in the ongoing blog tour!

Interview with Renee Frey hosted by Louise Ross

Interview with Kristy Perkins hosted by Renee Frey

Interview with Kelsie Engen hosted by Kristy Perkins

Interview with Shannon Yukumi hosted by Kelsie Engen

More to come!

The post Release Day: Seeds of Lore appeared first on Heather Hayden.

Fractured Ever After Blog Tour: Author Interview with Shannon Yukumi

Welcome to the last stop on the Fractured Ever After blog tour! I’m delighted to be hosting the wonderful Shannon Yukumi today. Shannon wrote “An Empire of Fools,” a lovely fractured retelling of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.

The Interview

Thank you so much for being here today, Shannon. Let’s start off by talking a little about your story. What inspired you to write “An Empire of Fools”?

I was inspired to choose Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes” as a base for this fractured tale because, as a child, the political nuances had always gone over my head and I could never quite figure out how anyone could be so blind that they would parade around their kingdom in the nude. There were just too many factors that made it difficult for me to suspend disbelief.

How could someone be so prideful or blind they would sacrifice their dignity to the extent the Emperor did in the original story? Why didn’t any of the Emperor’s advisors just tell the Emperor he was being conned? Needless to say, the story’s powerful message went right over my head, and my childish questions stayed with me all these years. I guess you could say that I wrote the story as an answer to my younger self. What if the Emperor wasn’t an idiot, and the conmen were telling the truth? Throwing in a bit of magic and a redemption arc for the poor old Emperor I think satisfied the child in me.

So in that vein, I set out to write the story for all the children who can’t
stop asking “but why?” at the end of a fairy tale.

And I’m so glad you did! I was one of those children who always asked “but why?”, and I agree that that particular tale always struck me as strange.

If you could visit the empire for a day, who would you most like to meet, and why?

I
would probably try and meet Rylia, the odd woman modeled after Arachne, the
mortal weaver from Greek mythology. If I could find her. She would most
definitely have the most interesting stories to tell.

I wondered what your inspiration for Rylia was. I’d love to meet her, too. She seemed like such a fascinating person!

If you could own a magical cloak, what properties would you want it to have?

I think the go-to answer is a cloak of invisibility ala Harry Potter, but I wouldn’t mind a mantle like Dr. Strange’s, as I could always use an extra set of hands to work on the numerous projects I always have going on at one time. I think the biggest problem is that no matter what answer I choose, cloaks and capes in this day and age are generally a fashion disaster, and no matter what kind of cool powers the cloak would possess, I would still look ridiculous. So how about instead of a cloak of invisibility, could I get an invisible cloak?

As long as I can always remember where I put it.

How about an invisible cloak like Dr. Strange’s mantle? I think that would be awesome, and I’d like one too.

Where is your favorite place to write?

My
favorite place to write is at work during my lunch break. I’m already in a
mindset to get things done, so I just ride that train all day. Plus, with kids
at home, nothing will get written—who am I kidding?

Haha, yeah, kids certainly seem to chase away any time that could be devoted to writing at home, as far as I’ve heard from my friends with kids. I’m glad you’re able to find time during your lunch break.

What project(s) are you working on now?

I am trying to find homes for several flash stories, and my current work in progress is a fantasy novel about a blacksmith with an ability that brings an ancient world devourer closer to his world each time he uses it. Unfortunately, using this power is critical to stop a bubbling war between beings from the devourer’s dimension, the people, and a power-hungry general who is gathering others who use this power to (of course) conquer the world.

Wow, that novel sounds intense! I hope I get a chance to read it someday. Good luck with all of your writing projects, and thank you so much for stopping by!

Shannon Yukumi lives and works as an interpreter and translator in Japan, writes fiction in his spare time, and parents two children in the time he doesn’t have. Language tends to get away from him, but he claims that that isn’t his fault.

The Anthology

Old classics are fractured into
exciting new tales in this international collection of magic, mystery, and
adventure.

Some heroes go searching for their
happily ever after: a dragon cocoon hunter explores the dangerous woods for his
sleeping beauty; a prince forces a perfect romance on an unsuspecting maiden;
and when a girl leaves town, she must quickly decide to trust—or be wary of—a
new stranger.

Destiny is thrust upon others: a
disconnected emperor struggles to retain his title; a frog prince leaves his
pond in search of answers; and after Rapunzel is rescued, a new quest is
awarded to her savior.

Whether it is destiny or choice, all actions have consequences: sibling rivalry pushes one little piggy to extremes and a princess must choose to follow her heart or step up as future queen. Prepare for an adventure as these eight fantastic fairy tales transport you to places beyond your imagination.

Fractured Ever After is available on Amazon for Kindle and in paperback. Buy your copy today!

The Giveaway

The Just-Us League and the Ever Afters have teamed up to host an epic giveaway celebrating their upcoming fairy tale anthologies! Enter for a chance to win one of FOUR sets of prizes!

Grand Prize (U.S. residents only)



Two paperbacks (Fractured Ever After and Encircled)Book cozySlipper ornament3D-printed bookmark (pick one design)Set of four signed illustration prints



First Prize (U.S. residents only)



Two paperbacks (Fractured Ever After and Encircled)“Fairy tales do come true” charm bracelet3D-printed bookmark (pick one design)Set of four signed illustration prints



Second Prize (International)



Two ebooks (Fractured Ever After and Encircled)3D-printed bookmark (pick one design)Set of four signed illustration prints



Third Prize (International)



Two ebooks (Fractured Ever After and Encircled)Choice of 3D-printed bookmark (pick one design) or set of four signed illustration prints

Enter for a chance to win here: Rafflecopter giveaway. Giveaway open from April 6th until April 30th, 2019.

And don’t forget to pick up your copies of the anthologies! Fractured Ever After is available on Amazon, and Encircled is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Apple Books.

The post Fractured Ever After Blog Tour: Author Interview with Shannon Yukumi appeared first on Heather Hayden.

Encircled Blog Tour: Author Interview with Tori V. Rainn

Welcome to the first stop on the Encircled Blog Tour! I’m excited to be hosting Tori V. Rainn today, the author of the lovely Beauty and the Beast retelling “A Heart’s Desire.”

The Interview

Thanks so much for being here today, Tori! My first question is: why did you choose Beauty and the Beast as your fairy tale to retell?

It’s been so long I really need to search for this one, lol. Aside from being such a fan of Beauty and the Beast, there was one strong reason why I jumped on this story. If I remember correctly, I had a vivid dream about Beast being swept away by creatures. (We’ll just say creatures for now without risk of spoiling it.) I thought the scene was too cool. Then out of order, another scene came. It was about how a character could be related to or have connections to the one who cursed Beast. I thought it would be a nice twist. After I woke, I immediately jotted down the ideas as I remembered them and then told a writer friend. I told her I wanted to do a Beauty and the Beast book retelling. Yup, at the time I had planned to do a whole novel. I wasn’t a hundred percent confident in starting it, so maybe that’s why I never did. Then so much time went by, other projects came up, and the next thing I knew, the Ever Afters proposed we do an anthology of fairy tale retellings. Lightbulb went off! I knew right away I wanted to do Beauty and the Beast. I already had scene ideas jotted down that I had shelved so long ago. And now I would have the chance to bring it to life!

That’s so fascinating! I’m often inspired by dreams as well; it’s amazing how vivid they can be. Speaking of vivid, I loved how you incorporated the roses in the lake–what inspired that imagery?

Thank you! That was one of my favorite scenes. I will give all the credit to Pinterest. Despite what I said about having many ideas already jotted down, there were still so many blanks. I knew I wanted a different and greater scale of displaying the roses, but I just didn’t know how. So I turned to the good ole Pinterest for inspiration. There’s a digital artwork I saw of a man knelt down on a field of glass-encased roses. Then I stumbled across another pic of a frost-covered rose. Then two and two came together, and pow!

Cover Reveal: Fractured Ever After

Greetings!

Things have been quiet here lately, but I promise a lot has been going on behind the scenes! Granted, most of that has been work rather than writing, but I’ve snuck in time where I can to play with words. Stories are in my blood, and I’m always happiest when I’ve got virtual ink on my fingers.

Some of you may have been anticipating this announcement, but many of you may have forgotten my previous hints about a certain fairy tale retelling involving a certain frog. Well, I’m happy to announce that the wait is almost over for my latest fairy tale retelling.

Why almost, you ask? Because Fractured Ever After: A Collection of Fairy Tale Retellings releases next month on April 27th, and my story, “The Frog Prince,” will be opening the anthology! *squeal of excitement*

Why am I here today, then? The title of the post kind of gives away the surprise… So, without further ado, here’s the gorgeous cover by the talented Louis Rakovich of Indigo Forest Designs!

The Cover

It’s SO PRETTY. I always fangirl over Louis’s cover designs, and I especially love how he worked in the shattered glass for this collection of fractured fairy tale retellings.

What is a Fractured Fairy Tale Retelling?

Fractured fairy tale retellings usually tell the original tale from another character’s point-of-view–a secondary character or even the villain (such as an evil stepmother). Often the perspective of the original tale is skewed to show how things “really” happened, and the ending might even be completely different from that of the original. Sometimes the story has been changed in such a way as to make us laugh at an unexpected characterization, plot development, or contrary point of view. Fractured fairy tale retellings can also be continuations of fairy tales, showing what happens to a character after the original tale’s end.

The Blurb

Old classics are fractured into
exciting new tales in this international collection of magic, mystery, and
adventure.

Some heroes go searching for their
happily ever after: a dragon cocoon hunter explores the dangerous woods for his
sleeping beauty; a prince forces a perfect romance on an unsuspecting maiden;
and when a girl leaves town, she must quickly decide to trust—or be wary of—a
new stranger.

Destiny is thrust upon others: a
disconnected emperor struggles to retain his title; a frog prince leaves his
pond in search of answers; and after Rapunzel is rescued, a new quest is
awarded to her savior.

Whether it is destiny or choice,
all actions have consequences: sibling rivalry pushes one little piggy to
extremes and a princess must choose to follow her heart or step up as future
queen.

Prepare for an adventure as these
eight fantastic fairy tales transport you to places beyond your imagination.

When is it being released?!

As I mentioned above, the official release date is April 27th! However, you can preorder the Kindle version now: PREORDER.

More details to come soon!

The post Cover Reveal: Fractured Ever After appeared first on Heather Hayden.

Brewing Books: Once Upon a Retelling

The Tour

Welcome to the Brewing Books: Once Upon a Retelling Blog Tour! I’m delighted to be part of this fabulous blog tour featuring ten amazing authors. If you’d like to participate, you can visit all ten blogs, collect the hidden numbers, and then enter the final total on the Brewing Books Rules Post for your chance to win one of our amazing Brewing Books Prize Packs!

About Me

Fueled by chocolate and moonlight, I seek to bring magic into the world through my stories. Every night I pour my heart and soul into my novels, spinning tales of science fiction and fantasy that sing of friendship and hope.

My publications include Augment, a YA science fiction novel, and several short stories in the JL Anthology series. I am currently working on Upgrade, the sequel to Augment, as well as a gaslamp fantasy series titled Rusted Magic.

You can follow my writing adventures on my website (thanks for visiting!), Facebook, Twitter, or through my newsletter.

My Fairy Tale Retelling

“Solstice Flames” is a short story published in the anthology Of Legend and Lore. I had so much fun writing this mash-up retelling of A Christmas Carol and The Little Match Girl! Told from two POVs, this story follows a miserly mage and a young woman down on her luck through the snowy–and magical–dangers of a Solstice Eve.

Of Legend and Lore is an illustrated collection of eleven fairy tale retellings, some well-known, others obscure. It’s part of the Gold Prize for the Brewing Books Blog Tour. Can’t wait to read my story? Of Legend and Lore is available for Kindle and in paperback.

My Brew

Peppermint is one of my favorite kinds of teas, so for this Brewing Tour, I’m giving away a box of Celestial Seasonings Peppermint Herbal Tea!

The Prizes

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are three prize packs available: The Classics, The Legends, and The Myths.

The Grand Prize, “The Classics,” includes 5 paperbacks: Lost, Mercury Rises, Charm, Alice, and The Revolution of Jack Frost.

The Gold Prize, “The Legends,” includes 3 paperbacks: Of Legend and Lore, Daughter of the Forest, and The Bear and the Nightingale.

The Silver Prize, “The Myths,” includes 3 paperbacks: Scepter of Fire, Crown of Ice, and Wide Awake.

Each paperback will be accompanied by a “brew”–coffee, tea, or even hot chocolate! My brew, accompanying Of Legend and Lore in the the Gold Prize, is peppermint tea.

The Secret Number

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: ___ calling birds…

Thanks for stopping by!

Your next stop is Jennifer Ellision’s blog. You can also find the start of the Blog Tour on JM Sullivan’s blog. Happy Holidays!

The post Brewing Books: Once Upon a Retelling appeared first on Heather Hayden.

Release Day: Secrets in Our Cities

Happy Release Day!

This post is a day late, due to a brief fiasco yesterday–in short, our paperback is currently displaying as a women’s dress. Yes, you read that right! Amazon glitched up the listing somehow, and it may take them a few days to fix it, sadly. However, the ebook is live and well, and you can buy your very own copy now!

Obligatory shiny cover image:

(You can click on the image to go to the Amazon page.)

Heather’s Paperback Giveaway

Because of the paperback glitch, I’ll be personally giving away a signed copy once I’m able to order them. Interested? Just fill out the form here: Paperback Giveaway. All I need is a name and an email address, and any information gathered through this form will only be used to contact the winner (and announce the winner; their name will be announced on November 5th on my blog).

This is a SEPARATE giveaway from the Scavenger Hunt the Just-Us League is throwing, which, by the way, you only have until November 5th to put together the secret line! See below for more information.

Secrets in Our Cities Scavenger Hunt

As you may remember from my previous post, the Just-Us League is hosting a Scavenger Hunt to celebrate the release of our sixth anthology. Hunt. You can participate by visiting all of the participating blogs, a list of which can be found in the introduction post on the Just-Us League’s website.

Once you’ve gathered all of the clues, figure out the secret line and submit it. One lucky winner will receive a paperback copy of Secrets in Our Cities, and three lucky winners will receive ebook copies.

The Scavenger Hunt will be open until midnight EST on November 5th, 2018. The winners will be announced on the Just-Us League’s blog on November 7th, 2018. Your information will only be used to contact you if you win a prize.

The final clue:

The post Release Day: Secrets in Our Cities appeared first on Heather Hayden.

Secrets in Our Cities Scavenger Hunt Blog Tour: Interview with Maddie Benedict

Welcome to the second stop on the Secrets in Our Cities Scavenger Hunt Blog Tour! I’m delighted to be hosting Maddie Benedict, one of the amazing authors of this upcoming paranormal urban fantasy anthology.

Interview with Maddie Benedict

Thank you so much for being here today, Maddie! Let’s start out with a simple question: What do you like most about paranormal urban fantasy?

I guess it’d have to be the element of supernatural abilities presented in the real world; that way, the story can be fresh and modern but still have a fantastical theme at the same time. I also enjoy other common tropes of the genre–the mystery of what’s happening to the character, and him trying to conceal his incredible nature from those he knows, but with inevitable hints slipping through. (Although maybe that’s an aspect of superhero comics, too.)

I agree! I love seeing fantasy mixed in with the “real world.”

What is your favorite paranormal creature?

Shapeshifters, I’d say. It’s so dynamic that they can change their form at will (usually), unlike werewolves (as they’re typically depicted). I’ve always admired animals and their graceful mystique, and it would be cool if they contained an intellect at least as advanced as humans after all, as is the case with shifters. Also, since they can transform into an animal (or various kinds), they can actually have the experiences that humans have always imagined but have never been able to truly do–flying as a bird, swimming as a fish, running as a quadruped.

Oooh, good answer. I’d love to have the ability to shapeshift.

The main character in your story, “This Really Bites,” is bitten by a werewolf and struggles to come to terms with his new identity. If you were bitten by a werewolf, how would you react?

Probably much the same way he did. First I’d think it’ll ruin everything, and I’d have to wrap my head around how it’ll change the rest of my life. I’d hope that, since I’m a vegetarian like he is, my condition would be comparable to his, in that it wouldn’t bring any urge to hunt prey, animal or otherwise, due to no prior introduction to meat. As long as I was still in control of myself, then it would be fun to run around on four paws! I really wouldn’t be crazy about the excess body hair, though.

I loved the twist that he was still a vegetarian after being bitten; too often werewolves are depicted as ravenous beasts.

What book are you currently reading (or recently read)?

I read The Nine Lives of Chloe King a while ago, to finally check out the book, since I loved the TV show (which was unfortunately–and ironically–short-lived). It’s one of the few occasions that the show was even better than the book, but I did appreciate the extra details I got from reading it, like how Chloe gets sleepy like a cat ready for a nap when she’s warm and full–and, of course, it was a chance to see the plot come to an actual conclusion, which was brilliantly done.

I haven’t read it (or seen the show), but I’ll have to check it out. It’s too bad the show was canceled.

Cover Reveal: Secrets in Our Cities

My wonderful writers’ group, the Just-Us League, is releasing our sixth anthology on October 31st, 2018–the spookiest day of the year! Which is appropriate as the theme of this upcoming collection is paranormal urban fantasy.

Today, we’re revealing the cover, and it’s another gorgeous design by Louis Rakovich of Indigo Forest Designs!

The real world and imagination collide in this international collection of paranormal urban fantasies.

Some cities are inhabited by lycanthropes: a werewolf-turned-private-eye takes on a kidnapping case that upsets his plans for a simple life; a vegetarian lycan must join forces with a local pack to save their city; and a twenty-something werewolf thinks she’s the scariest monster in town until she meets a necromancer.

Children are often the center of paranormal activity: a troop of Mountain Gals on a camping trip runs afoul of a witch; a high school outcast pairs up with an angel to guide ghosts to their final rests; a young fae intelligence agent is placed on his first undercover assignment at a high school; and a little girl rattles a zombie-run pub for supernatural clientele when she accidentally begins haunting it.

These young urbanites are more than they seem: a kindhearted girl changes her life forever when she offers shelter to an injured hellhound; a runty dragon dwells in the sewers plotting revenge while dreaming of reliable takeout; and an ordinary detective must team up with a young hotshot magician to solve a mysterious disappearance.

Step across the paranormal divide with these ten short stories, and you’ll never look at your hometown the same way again.

 

Be on the lookout in the coming week for an exciting Scavenger Hunt Blog Tour celebrating this upcoming release!

The post Cover Reveal: Secrets in Our Cities appeared first on Heather Hayden.

Character Interview: Alk the Fire Salamander

I know the blog’s been quiet, and it’s been for a very good reason–I moved site hosts! But we’re back now, and to celebrate, I’m very happy to invite the amazing fire salamander Alk to join us for an interview! Alk is a character from H. L. Burke’s upcoming novel Spice Bringer. This interview is part of the Spice Bringer Blog tour!

Thanks for being here today, Alk! I promise to keep this interview short, since I know you’re very busy. Obviously you love fires since you’re a fire salamander, but do you have a favorite kind of wood to burn?

I prefer the aromatic woods. Cedars and tea trees, for instance, but since I like to burn it to the point of red-hot coal, it doesn’t matter too much. It all tastes about the same in that form. What I really appreciate is the taste of char.

That makes a lot of sense! I wonder if you’d like pine; we have a lot where I come from. Remind me to get you some for your next birthday.

What are your thoughts on incense?

Unnecessary and humans have exceedingly poor instincts as to what makes a good incense. They have no respect for natural, hearty  smells like sulfur and ozone and too much love for flowers.

Haha! I think humans would argue with you about that, but for the sake of this interview, I won’t. (Although I think my namesake’s flower has a very nice scent.)

If you could spend a day with anyone in the world, who would it be, and why?

Myself. Nice and quiet. All the coal bathing I could ever want. Perfect. Ovar, my long-time friend, can come along to occasionally feed the flames.

You have a very good friend there!

What’s the best thing that ever happened to you?

When Ovar took me from the Hidden Temple so we could  start our own spice grove away from the oversight of his father, I was at first leery of the idea. It seemed foolish to abandon the only home we’d ever known, for me to leave all others of my kind. However, we created something by doing so. We made a home. We found purpose, and I find I like being the only holy salamander in the area. Less need to share the attention and adulation.

That sounds like a wonderful place. I wish I could visit!

Do you sing? If so, what do you like to sing? If not, why not?

Please. I’m a fire salamander, not a canary.

Haha, fair enough! Thank you so much for stopping by today, Alk. It was fun to learn more about you!

Readers, you can learn more about Alk (and his traveling companions) in Spice Bringer, HL Burke’s heartwarming story of a young woman struggling to save a very valuable plant.

About the Book

A deadly disease. A vanishing remedy. A breathless journey.

All her life, Niya’s known she will die young from the fatal rasp. She survives only with the aid of vitrisar spice and a magical, curmudgeonly fire salamander named Alk. Then an ambitious princess burns down the vitrisar grove in an effort to steal Alk so she can claim her rightful throne. Joined by Jayesh, a disgraced monk, Niya and Alk must flee to the faraway Hidden Temple with the last vitrisar plant, or all who suffer from the rasp will perish.

But even as Niya’s frustration and banter with Jayesh deepen to affection, the rasp is stealing away her breath and life.

For a girl with limited time and a crippling quest, love may be more painful than death.

Preorder now: Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and Apple iBooks.

Autographed paperbacks are also available for preorder on Uncommon Universes Press’s website. Regularly $17.99, autographed paperback preorders are $14.99 with a free shipping discount (free shipping to US locations only).

About the Author

Born in a small town in north central Oregon, H. L. Burke spent most of her childhood around trees and farm animals and was always accompanied by a book. Growing up with epic heroes from Middle Earth and Narnia keeping her company, she also became an incurable romantic.

An addictive personality, she jumped from one fandom to another, being at times completely obsessed with various books, movies, or television series (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek all took their turns), but she has grown to be what she considers a well-rounded connoisseur of geek culture.

Married to her high school crush who is now a US Marine, she has moved multiple times in her adult life but believes that home is wherever her husband, two daughters, and pets are.

You can connect with her through her Facebook page and reader group, Twitter, Instagram, and her website.

The post Character Interview: Alk the Fire Salamander appeared first on Heather Hayden.