S.T. Sanchez's Blog, page 13

It's Time!

It's finally here. Get your copy today!  
 Amazon

Starfell Book 2 now available for Pre Order

Be sure to check out this fun series from Jessica Renwick. Pre Order it now so you can get on September 10th. Also be on the look out for an Interview with Jessica, coming soon!

Pre Order Now - On Amazon

Check out my newest interview!

So I just did an interview with my publisher Scene Co.  Check it out. Let me know what you think!

Interview with author S.T. Sanchez

Cover Reveal!!

I am so excited to share the cover for The Portal Keeper coming out Oct. 2nd.  Pre Orders will be available soon.  Let me know what you think.  Happy Reading!!

Interview with JG Jones author of From The Cave Wall

Today I'd like to introduce everyone to author JG Jones. Why don't you start by telling us a little about yourself.  


I’m a former teacher from the UK who is married to a scientist and owned by a beautiful cat. I studied history at university which is why I love anything historical, particularly when it involves research. Learning about new or unusual things is one of my favourite parts of writing. My other favourite is sharing my love of writing and history with my readers, whether in person or through my books. I set up my reading club, The Source Detectives for children who want to learn about history and to explore with them how we can use real sources to build a story. That’s what makes writing fiction so exciting. It doesn’t matter what the ‘real’ story is, in this context, it’s the story you can tell that is important.


I love that you set up a writing club for kids. That's so great. JG, what got you into writing?


I’ve always been a story-teller, whether making up games to play in the playground or alone playing with toys. As I got older, this developed into writing simple stories, often based around favourite books or just completely random subjects. Friends and family were often roped in to help deliver performances of plays, songs, poetry – anything I wrote, I wanted to present. In terms of writing and eventually publishing, I wanted to write something different for children. As a teacher, I struggled to find quality stories for a lot of the areas of history that I was required to teach. From the Cave Wall began as a simple concept of a girl looking at a cave painting. I knew that I wanted to set the story in the Stone Age and that the girl’s grandpa was going to be the painter of that painting. Once I found the image of the mammoth that begins the story (coincidentally named ‘le grandpere’) in the Rouffignac Caves in South-West France, I knew that I had my inspiration.


Sounds intriguing. Have you been given any helpful advice?


I’ve had lots of advice. The one thing I found when I started writing was how enthusiastic people were. The best response came from someone who I consider a mentor. I had what I thought was my final draft and asked her to read it for me. Her feedback lead me to completely rewrite the first two chapters and significantly change several others. Her advice was to take a step back, read an excellent book which she recommended (The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults, Cheryl Klein) and reflect on how to bring the best out of the book. That advice made the book. The changes I made lifted the story and helped to bring the plot alive.


I think it's important to be open to feedback. I don't follow every suggestion but I do take a good look at it and see if there is any merit to it. Tell us a little bit about your main characters.


My main character is eight years old and I love her. It’s a stereotype that authors love their main characters but I can’t help it. Osha is everything I wasn’t as a child. If she wants to do something then she will find a way to do it. In the first chapter we learn quite quickly that this attitude really frustrates her single mother and causes tension between them. She does begin to learn as the book progresses but determined and stubborn are accurate ways to describe her. Her great loves are mammoths, her grandpa and her cousin and best friend, Pira, who she wouldn’t be without. Pira is a few months younger than Osha but is altogether more sensible. She is cautious about everything and doesn’t like to disobey but will follow Osha to the ends of the earth if it will help to protect her.


How did you decide on what to title each book?


From the Cave Wall refers to where the story comes from. It begins at the cave wall and we learn the importance of the painting very quickly.


JG, is this a stand-alone novel or part of a series?
It is the first in a series, but you are unlikely to see Osha again. The series, The Source Stories, will form several books which track the evolution of human history from the Stone Age right through to the Present (or close to it). Every story will be told from the perspective of a different child of the time and will be focused around a real historical source which can be visited or seen, hence the name of the series.


What is the easiest part of the writing process?  What is the hardest?


I found the easiest part to be the initial conception of the idea. I knew where I wanted to start the book and had a general idea of plot. The hardest was taking the bare bones of the story and adding the details that make it a full length book. I took it one chapter at a time and allowed it to evolve naturally, which I found helped with the development of the story.


Do you have people read your drafts before you publish?  How do you select beta readers?


I absolutely have people read drafts. Some focus on the basic grammatical errors I have made. Others, usually fellow authors, help me to read through the plot and give me feedback on character development. I couldn’t publish without these people. They are all people I know, but ones that I trust to be completely honest and who will provide constructive feedback even if it pulls the book apart!


Ha, that's what I tell my beta reader to rip it to shreds. I'd rather find all the flaws before publishing rather than after. What was your writing process like?


After my initial idea, I focused on the research. I had little knowledge of the Stone Age, other than that which I had gathered when teaching the subject and knew that to write a good story, I would need to know more than I did. Once I felt confident about what I read and discovered, I moved to constructing the chapters, ensuring that my focus was on telling Osha’s story, not the research. When I eventually had the book, I went back multiple times, tweaking and changing things until I felt it was the best it could be.
  
I have found it amazing that even in fiction books there is so much research needed. It's something I didn't expect. In your novels, which character is your favorite?


I’ve already mentioned how Osha is almost the mirror opposite of me, which I love. I’m far more like Pira. It’s Osha’s determination and focus which draws me to her. Her relationship with grandpa is particularly special to me and I like how she and her mother grow closer as the story progresses.


What advice would you give someone who is considering publishing? Should they consider traditional or self-publishing?


Do what is best for you. Look into all the options and weigh up what you feel will suits your situation. Self-publishing requires a lot of hard work and dedication but I chose it because it would give me control over everything. There are also a number of services available, dependent on your budget, to help you with every aspect of the publishing process. In addition, the indie publishing community is incredibly supportive providing reviews, advice and help to whatever query you have. If your work is accepted by a traditional publisher, that is fantastic but it doesn’t necessarily mean instant success, there are many stories out there from people who have been burned by the publishing industry. Research the different options and make an informed choice.


Any last words?
Thank you for the opportunity to do this interview. It’s been interesting reflecting on my writing and talking about my motivations.

Don't forget to check out From The Cave Wall. Happy Reading!!


Amazon

Join me for my live interview Sunday August 11th

I am doing my first live author interview on facebook on August 11th. If you want to tune in and join in and just help support me you will need to be added to an awesome group that I am part of, The Fiction Book Café. Just click on the link and you will be prompted to answer a couple of questions. Be sure to mention my name so you will be added quickly. It's a lovely group that supports authors, reviews books, where the members share their love for reading and discuss great reads. https://m.facebook.com/groups/361311857580469?ref=share

August Middle Grade Summer Reading List

It's the end of the summer so I thought I'd share some of my favorite Middle Grade Fiction Novels. 

Enjoy 5 of mine and my kids favorites in no particular order.

Let me just start by stating that I have enjoyed all of Brandon Mull's Series, but I especially enjoyed the Beyonders.  Keep an eye out for Drake, he's one of my favorite characters.




Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable—until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he's ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.

In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor, and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.

Amazon

To be honest I haven't had a chance to read this series but my kids loved it.


Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You’ve never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change.Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, the princes stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it’s up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.Christopher Healy’s Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is a completely original take on the world of fairy tales, the truth about what happens after “happily ever after.” It’s a must-have for middle grade readers who enjoy their fantasy adventures mixed with the humor of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Witty black-and-white drawings by Todd Harris add to the fun.
Amazon


Now before the Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins wrote a Middle Grade Fiction Series called Gregor the Overlander.
This series took me a few chapters to get into, but I really enjoyed it. So give it a chance.




Gregor the Overlander joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content!

When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it -- until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.
This unforgettable novel by Suzanne Collins, the international bestselling author of the Hunger Games series, is rich in suspense and brimming with adventure.
Amazon
Another fun series is The Princess Academy.



Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village.The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess. Soon Miri finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires.
Amazon

One of my all time favorites, I first remember hearing it as a child. My mother would sometimes read books to us. I have since read and enjoyed it several times over the years. It's an enchanting and magical story.


The classic story of Narnia, the fantastic land that lies beyond an ordinary wardrobe door. On the other side of that wardrobe door lies a world full of magic. A world frozen in the perpetual winter of the White Witch’s enchantment. A world where Christmas never comes. Would you have the courage to stand shoulder to shoulder with Aslan, the Great Lion, and fight the Witch to free the land of Narnia? Are you brave enough to share the adventures that change the lives of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy forever. This timeless novel provides many wonderful passages for the study of narrative, as well as complex characters and motivations ideal for class discussion.
Amazon

My Favorite Day of the Year!!

There are a few things that I look forward to every year in July. The first is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-a. It's just a fun outing with the kids and you get free food. My kids enjoy free slurpee day at 7-11. But my favorite day is today. Every year towards the end of July, The Cheesecake Factory offers 1/2 price Cheesecake day!!!
So go out and get you favorite slice today. I believe it is dine in only. Smore's is my favorite! Enjoy.
I usually eat 1/2 there and take the other half home to eat while I read:) Happy Reading and Eating!!

Interview with Author Jeffrey Bardwell author of The Scion's Delight

Today I'd like to welcome Jeffrey Bardwell to the 
blog. Jeffrey writes epic fantasy. Why don't you begin 
by sharing a short excerpt from your novel.

Chapter 1: Cordelia, Year 155
I reached inside and splayed my fingers across the floor of the cage, smiling as the gentle throb of the steam engine nestled below sent delightful little tingles through my fingertips. I glanced at my servant before reaching toward one of the trembling rats huddled against the corner of the cage. The animals had scuffled in their panic, and the raw energy building over them pulled their soft hair toward my outstretched fingers.
“Is the mechanism ready, Fortinbras?” My finger twitched as a tiny joyous spark passed from rat to princess. I felt my cheeks flush—perhaps this was an omen from the five blessing my good works—but nobody had seen me receive the gods' favor.
The old servant pulled the curtain aside and was making a few minor adjustments with a pair of quivering hands. I glanced at the servant's shaking fingers as he worked, then at his face. His cheeks remained as gray as dishwater. The old coot never gets excited about these things. Surely, it's not another bout of palsy?
I could never tell. Fortinbras suppressed his pain as much as his joy. I felt my lower lip tremble. I tried not to stomp my foot. A bit of enthusiasm wasn't too much to ask on today of all days? I had been designing and constructing this device piece by piece all season long and now, finally, the test!
Fortinbras shook his head, maintaining that same dull placid expression. I suppose his heart shriveled up inside his breast ages ago along with the rest of him. “The boiler pressure is still too weak, my princess.”
I raised one eyebrow as I grabbed the largest rat, a fine white-and-blue mottled specimen who would look stunning against the black lacquered maze. The beast gave the most adorable squeak when my fingers closed around his ribs and squeezed. I raised the rat to eye level, the motion pulling a fragrant haze of smoke and steam from the ceiling, which curled between my fingers. I admired the animal's dappled coat in the flickering torch light of the long disused tallow sconces on the wall.
I was glad I had bid Fortinbras to douse and replace the more modern oil lamps in preparation for this event. The lamps were more convenient, but they lacked the proper Black Tower atmosphere. This was not a day to fill my bedroom with bright, clean light. This was a time for dark, smoky things that burned your throat raw to look on them.
I really like that you wrote this in first person. I think it makes the story exciting. I find it harder to write this way and hope to write one someday. If you could travel 
anywhere in the world where would you go and why?
If I had my druthers, I'd go for a junket around rural Italy. I like the food, enjoy history and culture, and spaghetti sauce flows in my veins.
I'd love to go to Italy someday. My brother lived there for two years and came back with some delicious recipes. Jeffrey, currently, what are you working on?
I'm currently working at fever pitch to complete The Mage Conspiracy, a fantasy romance series of adventure and intrigue where lies cut deeper than any sword. I have one short novel prequel (50,000 words) and five full length main series novels planned (70,000 – 90,000 words). Of that, the first four books are completed and the fifth and sixth are coming down the pipeline. I hope to be done by Autumn 2019. Keep your fingers crossed!
Wow that's quiet a venture. Good Luck on completing it all by your deadline. Jeffrey will you tell us a little bit about your main characters?
Cordelia is the heroine of the prequel and the villain of the main series. She's a sociopathic princess bent on curbing the power of mage kind for the good of her nascent steampunk empire. Kelsa and Minerva are the heroines of the main series. Kelsa is a plucky young woman trying to save the mages of the Iron Empire from the impending state-sponsored genocide. Minerva is a sassy imperial army recruit destined to become one of the greatest warriors in all the land.
How did you decide on what to title each book?
I don't know as I have a specific process for titling my books. Mostly, I look at the subject matter and then make sure each book in a given series follows the same snappy grammatical motif.
I find it quite a challenge to come up with the perfect talent. Is this a stand-alone novel or part of a series?
This is the prequel to a larger series. This series is a part of a larger fantasy universe with multiple series and diverse characters. This universe is a slice of imagination pie from the larger consciousness of fantasy author Jeffrey Bardwell.
What is the easiest part of the writing process?  What is the hardest?
The easiest part of writing for me is the plotting. I like to let my mind drift and give my subconscious free rein when I'm plotting a new book. I can always go back and tweak the story as I'm composing it. The hardest most painful part of writing is the editing afterward.
Editing is definitely not my forte. I am horrible at grammar and have to depend on my excellent editor to polish up my work. Who designed the artwork for your cover?  Or did you design it yourself?
Les Solot does my covers. She's a great artist and designer. I enjoy collaborating with her.
I agree she does great work. I really like the cover for The Scion's Delight. What brought about the idea for your book?
This book was inspired by a dream of a haughty princess who was frustrated because the steampunk rat maze she was trying to build kept falling apart on her. When I realized this princess was none other than the younger version of the villainous empress in my main series, everything clicked.
Is there something you learned from writing your first book?
I learned that I needed some beta and arc readers, whom I have since found and embraced. My beta and arc readers are awesome.
I agree. I don't understand how a writer can survive without finding great people to read the books first. In your novels, which character is your favorite?
In The Mage Conspiracy series, the ornery Sergeant Luccia is my favorite character. She has a stubborn moral code and a low sense of humor. Aside from that the sergeant is in splendid physical condition, covered with more scars than a fencing dummy, and a woman in the imperial army, I can really relate to her.
Which do you find more challenging inventing the hero or the villain?  Why?
I like inventing both. All of my characters have layered motivations and are more humanistic than archetypical. Whomsoever plays the role of hero or villain is mostly a matter of perspective.
Since you wrote in this genre, do you think you will ever write in other genres?
I've had plans for a literary women's fiction novel sitting on the shelf for years with a few chapters written. If I ever finished it, the book would be published under a different pen name. It's just too different from my usual fare.

Thanks so much for sharing with us today.
Find out more about Jeffery at the links below and don't 
forget to check out The Scion's Delight. Happy Reading!!
The Scion's Delight, the prequel of the Mage Conspiracy series, 43000 words, 186 pagesepic dark fantasy romance
Book Link  https://books2read.com/the-scions-delight
Jeffrey Bardwell writes epic fantasy with elements of darkness, steampunk, and romance set in the Metal vs. Magic Universe. His character-driven books are guaranteed to include gritty realism, political intrigue, lurid entanglements, dry wit, and dragons in differing proportions. He devours fantasy and science fiction novels and is most comfortable basking near a warm wood stove. When not writing, Jeffrey enjoys cooking, gardening, and shooing baby dragons from the compost bin.
The author lives on a farm and in a prior life worked as a community ecologist. He is overfond of puns and alliterations. He is also an unabashed history and mythology enthusiast. You can discover more about Jeffrey and his fantasy universe here:
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/cTZHVn
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeffreybardwell
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16676565.Jeffrey_Bardwell
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jeffrey-bardwell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twigboat/

Amazon Promo on Books Today Only

I always like to spread the word when there is a deal on books. I came across this one on Amazon today. TODAY ONLY  Spend 15 dollars on books and get 5 dollars off. Happy Reading!!

PRIMEBOOK19