Missy Sheldrake's Blog, page 4

Saturday Smile 1-2-2021

I always wanted to draw a comic, so I did! Here’s baby Azi and Rian conquering the mountain for your Saturday Smile. I love the concept of a gentle giant. What’s your favorite memory of being little?

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Happy New Year 2021!

Here’s hoping 2021 is the best year yet! Happy New year! I’m hoping for more togetherness with extended family, more hope for our health and happiness, and a return to all the things we missed in 2020, including book signings. A few fun plans I have for this year include daily blog posts, releasing Elliot’s novel, Short stories here on my blog, and a Keepers of the Wellsprings Art book!

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2021! What are you looking forward to more than anything this year?

By the way, Call of Kythshire is FREE on Kindle today! Click the pic to pick up your copy!

When magic is threatened, two peaceful worlds will fall under siege. Can one young woman be the key to their salvation?

Sixteen-year-old Azi Hammerfel has finally achieved her dream. Inducted into her parents’ honored guild of knights, she’s excited to set out on her first quest for the king. But when she isn’t chosen and her father returns nearly destroyed without her mother, the young squire is shocked to discover herself stuck by a curse.

Unable to even raise a sword without experiencing excruciating pain, Azi despairs at her mum’s disappearance. When a fairy appears with a dire warning for the realm and offers a mysterious bargain, the courageous teen journeys forth towards a destiny that will put her in the path of even darker magic.

Can Azi stop two lands from falling to a deadly evil?

Call of Kythshire is the enchanting first book in the Keepers of the Wellsprings YA fantasy series. If you like strong female characters, immersive world-building, and electrifying adventures, then you’ll love Missy Sheldrake’s award-winning tale.

Buy Call of Kythshire to start your epic adventure today!

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Farewell, 2020!

As we say goodbye to this harrowing year, I wanted to share some of my favorite 2020 memes. I’m so excited to ring in the new year with all of you. Let’s do this! Tell me what you’re grateful to have learned this year in the comments, or share a link to a funny 2020 meme! See you in 2021. Be safe and happy!

Before I forget, Mya is FREE today on Kindle! Click below to grab your copy!

A clever girl with a powerful secret. A missing scoundrel of a father. Will waiting for rescue set her free?

Mya Songspinner used to be certain Pa loves her, but now, she’s not so sure. When he leaves her to work at a miller’s, his promised month’s absence drags into several weeks. She wonders if he’s ever coming back, until his new companion arrives to lure her aboard a pirate ship with shady promises. Mya tries to keep her guard up and her voice down, but an attack by evil sorcerers forces her to step out of the shadows…

Saving them all with the magic of her voice, the would-be minstrel is upset when her vagabond father fails to meet her once ashore. Stirring suspicions she might be part siren, and forced into a singing contest with the prize a fortune richer than she can fathom, Mya begins to fear someone close to her might have sinister plans for her extraordinary power.

Will she make an impossible choice between kinship and destiny, and finally find a place to call home?

Mya is the thrilling stand-alone first book in the “His Majesty’s Elite YA” fantasy series. If you like immersive worlds, vibrant characters, and coming-of-age fantasy adventures, then you’ll love Missy Sheldrake’s captivating tale.

Buy Mya to weave a magical, musical spell today!

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Mya: A Half-Siren Coming-of-Age Fantasy wins Book of the Year!

From Book Squirrel:

“In an entirely different category, rather than competing with those in other categories, Book Squirrel wanted to recognise the book that he enjoyed reading the most. For its combination of original story line, characterisation, relevance to the 21st century and and excellent writing, the award for BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020 goes to…‘Mya’ by Missy Sheldrake”

Read the full review here.

To celebrate, Mya is free today on Amazon!

Sketchbook 12-20/21-2020

Creativity and spontaneity are so important for our well-being. What do you do you do as a creative outlet? Share in the comments!

Things have been quiet and Christmasy around here this week, so I’ve been drawing spontaneously a lot. These drawings usually start with an eye or a nose and evolve from there. Sometimes my drawings turn into stories. I have lots of sketches of these characters with villages on their heads. Maybe some day I’ll write a story about them!

“Standoff” Ink in sketchbook



“Headspace” Pencil in sketchbook

Get your

2021-2022

Fairies Calendar!

Buy Now on Lulu

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2021-2022 Fairies Calendar

Do you love looking at beautiful, bright artwork of fairies? Would you like to look at fairies for 18 whole months? If so, you should get my brand new 2021-2022 18 month FAIRIES Art Wall Calendar!

BUY YOURS TODAY!









CLICK HERE TO BUY!

Oh, and by the way, Call of Kythshire, the first book of my epic, award-winning Keepers of the Wellsprings series is FREE today only! Saturday, 12-12-2020!

Click the pic to get your copy!

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2021 is Gonna be GREAT!

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December 2020

Hello! It has been a long year, but it’s finally December! I know I’ve been gone a while. This is my “I promise I’ll be better about blogging” post–and I mean it! I have a plan to post more in 2021, and I hope you’ll join me! Lately I’m working on a few projects I’ll be sharing in the coming weeks, so I hope you’ll stick around.

I love the cold of winter, but the darkness tends to get me down. Recently, I’ve taken to going outside in the early morning before the sun comes up and gazing at the stars. Orion is always there to greet me and make the chilly mornings so much more special.

What’s your favorite season? What do you do to help yourself enjoy your least favorite one?

Mya: His Majesty’s Elite

I’m so excited to announce that my latest book is coming out in less than a month! Mya is a minor character in the Keepers of the Wellsprings series, but, like all of my characters, I knew her story went far deeper than I could venture within the tale of that series. Little did I know, she would bring me on a journey I never could have anticipated! Here’s a little taste of her story, and my upcoming book: Mya.

Her voice is her power.

As the daughter of a vagabond scoundrel, aspiring minstrel Mya has spent her childhood wary of her magical voice while traipsing through dangerous jungles in pursuit of her father’s dream—fortune and glory.

She never imagined Pa’s latest scheme would have her tangling with thieves, sailing across the world on a ship full of pirates, kissing a prince, meeting the foxy elf of her dreams (literally), and dodging the grasp of the most dangerous Sorcerer in Cerion, all the while wondering: Where is Pa?

A mysterious note promising he’ll meet her soon pushes Mya toward options she never considered before. She could go on living at the mercy of her father’s endless plots, or create the home she’s longed for in Cerion, and finally embrace the power of her own voice.

Coming October 12 to Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Nook, and book retailers everywhere.

This exciting prequel to the Keepers of the Wellsprings series focuses on young Mya as she journeys to Cerion for the first time.

 

 

Mya will be available in paperback through Amazon, and special edition hardcover through Ingram.

I’m proud to share my Author’s Sketchbook with you in this very special hardcover edition of Mya: His Majesty’s Elite! Available exclusively in the hardcover edition, the Author’s Sketchbook includes over 20 original sketches I drew during my writing process. Sketching keeps my creativity flowing and helps me sort out characters and places in my mind. Here are a couple of example sketches included in this exciting edition:

 

In this epic fantasy adventure, you’ll be taken on a whirlwind journey across a world unlike any other. Are you ready to meet Mya, one of His Majesty’s Elite?

 

An excerpt from Mya: His Majesty’s Elite

Dear Pa,

Did you know you sent me to Cerion aboard a pirate ship? I’ve never seen greed like this, or danger. But I’m learning how to handle it.

At first, as usual, the men on board were afraid of me. They kept me confined to my cabin and didn’t allow me out. That was fine with me, because you instilled a fear of the sea into me that I still appreciate. But the tides changed about halfway through the voyage (that was an intentional pun—I know how you like them), and they came to see how valuable I could be aboard their ship. I took to singing to heal, Pa, and it worked well, and they kept me on that duty for a while.

But pirates are greedy. You know that as well as I do. Once their fear of me was gone, they tried to command me. The captain called me to the helm, ordering me to sing at their enemies and keep them in pain. He wanted me screaming like I did to save the ship from nearly being lost— I’ll tell you about that later. I talked him out of it, though. After the first attack, I had to coax him each time to let me go to my cabin in peace. But I still had to listen to it. I still heard talk later as the crew bragged and boasted of their victories.

Nine ships, Pa, and countless men brutalized by their swords and their Mage.

I won’t talk about it to you. Not right away. Maybe in time. I fear the anger in my voice would hurt you.

I’m not proud that I hid in my room through most of it. Every time it happened, I couldn’t help but think maybe I could have talked them out of attacking, just like I talked them into leaving me out of it. I could have convinced them to sail away and leave those innocents to their own journeys. I was afraid, though, that I’d fail to convince them, that they’d see through my efforts to control, that I’d end up being the one run through with a blade and cast into the sea. Cort said that was likely. That I had to think of myself and keep myself safe. That no amount of talking would change a lifetime of habits, not even with my ability.

If it wasn’t for him, for Cort, I think I might have lost my mind on this ship. You owe him a great debt, Pa. He kept my spirits up and watched over me, far more than Paewyn did.

Paewyn. She’s another story altogether. You’ve got to watch her if you want to keep her. Her eyes wander too far, she goes way too deep into her cups. She’s gotten better as we get closer to the journey’s end, but for most of the trip, she was totally unhinged.

I think partly she was jealous. The crew admires me, and I let them, mostly to keep myself safe until we see Cerion’s shores. Did you know pirates are excellent tailors? Cort says it’s because they loot so much fine fabric. That’s why they dress so bright and rich. They’ve made me such lovely dresses, Pa. I hope you’ll let me keep at least one. I’ve never owned anything so exquisite, that fit me so well. They’d suit me well for my performances in Cerion, I think.

That is your plan, isn’t it? For me to sing at the competitions? Paewyn has said so. Whenever she’s sober, she keeps me practicing my lute and writing as many songs as I can think to write. I can’t wait to play for you and show you how much I’ve learned.

Thankfully, the voyage is nearly over. I hope in all my life I will never step foot on a ship again. The fear of being cast off it is too much to bear. The vastness of the sea, just like you said, is dreadful.

That reminds me…I’d like to know how you made the voyage to Cerion. I can’t imagine with your fear of water that you’d manage the journey this way. Why did you decide we shouldn’t go together, and why did you send Paewyn with me instead? Did you pay for a Mages’ portal? That would make sense. I know they’re very expensive and even with all of our things sold, you wouldn’t have been able to pay for me, too.

That’s all I can think of these last few days. That, and how much I’m looking forward to seeing you. I know you had your reasons, and I did learn some things, Pa. I’m trying to be reasonable and be grateful, like Paewyn says I should be, but I’ve missed you so much and I really need to understand why you left me for so long. I’m not angry—well, maybe I am, but only a little. Truthfully, I can’t wait to have my feet on solid ground again, and to hug you. I’ve missed you since the Millers. Two months and more is a long time to be apart.

See you in Cerion.

Your Songbird,

Mya

 

Exciting News! Call of Kythshire is Wide!

Hello, everyone! Happy October! I have lots of exciting news for you today!

First, Call of Kythshire has been exclusive to Amazon.com since I published it back in 2015, but I decided this month it was time to make the first book in the series available to a wider audience. I’m thrilled to announce that the first book of the Keepers of the Wellsprings series is now available everywhere eBooks are sold! You can read it on Barnes and Noble’s Nook, Kobo, iTunes, or wherever you get your eBooks!

Click Here for Info!

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A New Shop!

I’m inviting all of my readers and followers to explore my new shop, which offers everything from signed books to artwork. These are all of the things I plan to offer at festivals this fall, so if you missed me at a show or aren’t local, you can still browse my work and hopefully find something that interests you! I’m offering my friends and family (and favorite email subscribers) a 15% discount through the end of the year. Just use the coupon code FAIRYFRIENDS2018 at checkout!

Click here to shop now !

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#Inktober

This month, I’m participating in #inktober on Instagram.

I’ll be sharing daily artwork (hopefully) that won’t be seen anywhere else.

Click here to follow me on Instagram

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Come See Me at Clifton Day!

I’ll be participating in this year’s Clifton Day Festival this Sunday, signing books and offering artwork for sale. The annual Clifton Day is a non-profit event, raising funds for a variety of local organizations. The festival includes arts and crafts, antiques, demonstrations, the Town Market, live music, children’s activities and lots of good food. This year, Clifton Day is on October 7th from 9AM-5PM. I’ll be in spot #25 near the Presbyterian Church and Trummer’s on Main. Stop by and say hi, I’ll be thrilled to see you!

Don’t Forget Your Calendar!

My personal copy of the Art of the Keepers of the Wellsprings Calendar arrived this week, and I can’t even begin to express how gorgeous it is! Lulu really does an amazing job printing, and I’ve never seen my illustrations looking so vibrant before. If you haven’t ordered your copy yet, what are you waiting for?!

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