R.M. Archer's Blog, page 33

My Top 3 Favorite Fairytale Retellings

I enjoy fairytale retellings, and I love seeing how authors twist and adapt existing stories and make them their own. I’ve read and watched a decent handful of retellings, but these three are tops on my list.

The Beast of Talesend by Kyle Robert Shultz

I read this early last month, all in one sitting, and I laughed out loud multiple times. I greatly enjoyed how Shultz twisted the fairytales we all know and love into something so fun and new. This book is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, primarily, but I loved the looks we got at various other fairytale elements as well, and the world that Shultz has created around fairytales as a whole. Shultz’s writing is some of my favorite out there for its quality and humor, and I would definitely recommend The Beast of Talesend.

Find it on Goodreads | Find it on Amazon

The Lunar Chronicles

Chances are you’ve already heard of this series, but it’s a great series. I love the sci-fi elements, the fairytales woven in, the characters (Cress, Thorne, and Iko are my favorite), just the whole thing. I think it was overall masterfully done, and I really need to reread these now that I own the entire series. Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy sci-fi and fairytale retellings.

Find them on Goodreads | Find them on Amazon

Once Upon a Time

This is a TV show, not a book, but it’s a show that I’ve enjoyed quite a bit. Intertwining fairytales is one of my favorite things (in case you couldn’t tell from my prior choices and the fairytale retellings I wrote), and seeing how the writers of Once Upon a Time interpreted and twisted the fairytales and then wove them all together is amazing. The family tree gets a little complicated, but it’s fun nevertheless. So if you’d like to see well-done storytelling and how fairytale characters would behave in the real world… check out this show.

Find the 1st season on Amazon

Obligatory Self-Promo & Giveaway Winner Announcement

First things first, the WINNER of the Mirror-Hunter Chronicles giveaway is…

Zoe!

Congratulations, Zoe!

If you didn’t win and you haven’t ordered a copy of The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles yet, you can find the Amazon page here. I have a goal to sell 30 copies (of either format) before June 10th, and I’m up to 8. I’m almost a third of the way there. I’d love for you to be the next person to enjoy The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. ^-^

How about you? What are some of your favorite fairytale retellings? What’s your favorite original fairytale? Let me know down in the comments! :)

The Rising Author Tag

I stole this tag from Nicki, who told me to steal it, who stole it from someone else who told her to steal it, and I’m told it’s just messy beyond that, but the point is that this tag has devolved into a Macguffin-ish thing and is no longer really a tag. But anyway, without further ado…

(Apparently this tag has no rules.)

1. What is the weirdest thing someone has ever said to you about your writing?

Um… I’m sure my best friend has said plenty of weird things, since we regularly say weird things about each other’s writing… but currently nothing is coming to mind.

2. What is the worst thing you ever wrote?

The story that began and ended my mystery-writing career. It had no name, all of the characters were stolen from mysteries I enjoyed reading, the One Ring showed up for, like, two scenes, and the ending (looking back) was extremely disturbing. And yet I could probably rewrite the thing from memory.

3. What is the most awkward scene you’ve ever written?

Pretty much any scene in The Shadow Raven with Nissa and Rolan. We’ll leave it at that.

4. On a scale from 1 to 10, how often do you end up writing more than 3 chapters of the stories you start?

Mm… Probably about a three, but it’s purposeful. I don’t let myself write too much of stories that aren’t what I’m primarily working on. At most I just write a starting point for me to come back to when I have time to focus on the new story. It’s generally around 2,000 words worth, at this point.

5. What is the hardest thing for you to write?
Description, probably? But I don’t know, because I have a ton of trouble writing it into a story, but if I’m simply writing description then it turns out pretty good. So… I don’t know. It’s annoying.

6. When you look back at your early writing pieces, what’s one thing you can see you’ve improved in?
Everything? Dialogue (oof), character development, worldbuilding, description (at least I’m aware it’s an issue now), plot (even if I’m still bad at it). I’ve been writing for ten years, so there’s been a lot of improvement, lol.

7. How do you name characters?

It depends. Sometimes I make things up, sometimes I pick random names that sound cool, sometimes I pick them based on their meanings… It really varies.

8. If you had to pick one genre to write in forever, what would it be?

FANTASY.

9. Which of your characters do you feel most guilty about?
Um… *goes to scour story list, because I know there’s at least one I’ve felt bad for*
So apparently I stand corrected and there are none I feel guilty about, because all the bad things that happen to them have purposes. I feel bad for several of them, sure, but not really guilty.

10. Which of your characters deserves everything you’ve given them?

Catessa, in The Last Assassin. I mean, yeah, her intentions are good, but the way she goes about things is so wrong that… she deserves to feel guilty, even overwhelmingly so. She deserves to have the punishment she ends up with. That’s how sin works. But she, like all of us, is also granted grace.

If you want to do the tag, feel free to steal it! If you had to choose one genre to write in forever, what would you choose? Do you ever feel guilty about things happening to your characters?

Character Interview: Rhylan Aryon

Rhylan is Rynn‘s older brother and crown prince of Scythia. He’s fiercely loyal, protective of those he loves, and dedicated to doing what’s best for Scythia when it’s up to him. Enjoy his interview. :)

Rhylan: *enters and shakes the interviewer’s hand* Hello.

Interviewer: Hello. How are you?

Rhylan: Doing well. How are you?

Interviewer: Doing just fine. Are you ready to begin?

Rhylan: *nods and takes a seat*

Interviewer: What’s your name?

Rhylan: Crown Prince Rhylan Thaniel Aryon. But just Rhylan is fine. *chuckles*

Interviewer: That’s quite a name. How old are you?

Rhylan: Nineteen.

Interviewer: You’re crown prince. At what point do you become king?

Rhylan: Now that I’m an adult, I could take it at any time it’s necessary. I get the throne if my father dies or if he decides to step down. I also act as king within the country if my father is away on business in another country.

Interviewer: Interesting. Are you looking forward to stepping up?

Rhylan: *nods* I feel… as prepared as one can be. *chuckles* I already have some plans for when I become king, and I’ll have good advisors around me. My father’s council is full of wise leaders.

Interviewer: What are some of your plans?

Rhylan: I’d rather not talk about them right now, if that’s all right.

Interviewer: *nods and glances at question list* You have a sister, Rynn. *looks back up* How would you describe your relationship with her?

Rhylan: We’re extremely close. We trust each other with anything and everything, and I’d do anything to protect Rynn, even if that does mean I’m frequently fishing her out of trouble. *grins* She keeps things exciting, that’s for sure.

Interviewer: What’s the most trouble she’s gotten herself into?

Rhylan: Up to this point, probably the time she slipped her guard–an impressive feat in itself–and sneaked into a group of people going camping on the edge of the woods. She was almost captured by the Lenorae before Kallum and I found her.

Interviewer: What are the Lenorae?

Rhylan: They’re a forest-dwelling race that don’t usually like humans. That’s pretty much everything we know about them.

Interviewer: Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Rhylan: An introvert, but I’ve always been good with people despite that.

Interviewer: What’s your favorite food?

Rhylan: Any pie baked by Issabelle Eckard. She’s the best baker I think I’ve ever met. It’s almost a shame she doesn’t make a profession of it. *chuckles*

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite color?

Rhylan: Dark brown.

Interviewer: Any particular reason?

Rhylan: It seems like a warm, healthy color. Like fresh earth.

Interviewer: Do you like to read?

Rhylan: *laughs* Are you kidding? I love to read. Studying is one of my favorite things.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite subject?

Rhylan: History and politics.

Interviewer: Those seem like useful topics for a prince to be well-versed in. What is your favorite animal?

Rhylan: I like birds of prey. Falcons, hawks, that sort of thing. I have a pet falcon named Aura, actually.

Interviewer: Besides studying, what are some of your hobbies?

Rhylan: I enjoy gardening occasionally, playing the piano, recreational reading, hunting, horseback riding, exploring… I like a good number of things. *chuckles*

Interviewer: Which of these is most important to you: kindness, intelligence, or bravery?

Rhylan: Bravery.

Interviewer: And honesty or selflessness?

Rhylan: Selflessness.

Interviewer: Is there anything you can’t leave home without?

Rhylan: A dagger, just in case.

Interviewer: That was the final question. Thank you for your time. *smiles*

Rhylan: Thank you. I enjoyed it. *smiles and shakes the interviewer’s hand before leaving*

How to Breathe New Life Into an Old Story

If you’ve been writing for a significant amount of time, chances are you’ve dropped a story idea that you enjoyed at least briefly. Maybe you’ve gone back and looked at it since and thought it was garbage, but there’s an equally decent chance that there have been pieces of it you’ve thought are really interesting. After all, something had to grip you when you first wrote it, right? So maybe you have a really cool setting, but flat characters. Or maybe the premise is good, but your prose is cringe-worthy. How do you salvage the good and leave behind the bad?

Identify what’s good about  the story

You can’t save an old story if you don’t yet know what’s worth saving. Do you like the characters? The setting? The overall premise? Bits and pieces of everything? Maybe you even have terrible prose in most places, but there’s one paragraph of awesome description that you want to keep. Make note of everything you like about the original, so you can utilize it when you revive the story.

Once you have that list, make sure you know what’s weak about the good parts so you can make them even stronger. Do you have characters with awesome personalities and backstories but no goals? A premise that’s really interesting but lacking focus? Make note of these weaknesses so you can improve them as you plan.

Identify where you’ve grown

Maybe it’s been only a few months since you dropped this story, maybe it’s been five years. Either way, I can about guarantee that you’ve grown in some way since then. See if you can identify in what areas you’ve grown, so that you can play to those strengths when rewriting this old story. Have you gotten better at writing organic dialogue? At developing characters? At plotting? Use these new strengths to build a stronger story.

Determine what made you stop in the first place

At what point in the story did you peter out the first time? Why? Were the characters dull? Was the setting under-developed? Did you run out of ideas for where the plot could go? Figure this out and make note of it so you can focus on fixing that in the planning stage.

Make a plan

Start with the strengths you pulled from the original story and build off of that. Fill in the gaps left from cutting weak characters or scrapping a flat setting, and expand on what you do have. Plan just like you would with a new story, with the benefit of having extra starting material. Ask yourself questions (and answer them), develop your characters, plot, whatever works for you.

Write!

In most situations, I’d suggest starting with a blank slate and producing an entirely new draft. Depending on how old and decrepit the original story is, however, you may be able to get away with simply editing the pieces you wrote before and starting from there. I’ve used both methods. For me personally, starting over is generally more effective because I don’t have the same beginning and I’m less likely to fall into the same rut as before, planning or no planning, but do whatever works best for you.

Happy writing!

Have you ever gone back and revamped an old story? How many story beginnings do you have gathering dust in the depths of your computer files? (It’s okay; I won’t judge. I have >90 myself.)

Book Review: The Hidden Queen by Janelle Garrett

I really, really, really wanted to love this book. I had high hopes, going in, and the book just… didn’t deliver. (I do list positives at the end, I promise. :P)

First, the writing style was bland. There wasn’t enough description or action to balance out the dialogue, and the dialogue was bogged down by repetitive descriptions of itself. Like the spot where it’s mentioned that Gwen laughed because she was amused. Or where she said “Perhaps” and we’re told it was noncommittal. A lot of places just could have benefited from trimming things down in a lot of places and bulking them up in others.

Secondly, it needed a proofreader. The grammar wasn’t as bad as in some other books I’ve seen, but it was still lacking in areas and it could have easily been cleaned up with a pass or two by a proofreader.

I didn’t connect with the vast majority of the characters. There were about three that I was slightly less apathetic toward (Nate, Charles, and Jakob), but they just still didn’t manage to entirely grip me. Nate was my favorite, but I still thought he was kind of pushy and his feelings were overly rushed. (Such was the case, however, with most of the characters.)

Few of the characters were distinctive. Pope could only be recognized by his (overdone) stutter, Quinten by the repeated mentions that he rarely talks, and Tate by the repeated mentions that he doesn’t like Gwen. These repeated mentions make it seem like the author was aware that they weren’t really coming through on paper and decided to tell us every time they’re on the page instead of working harder to show it. (As an author myself, I understand how difficult this can be. Truly. But readers generally don’t like not being able to see a character’s identifying characteristics by themselves.) Given this issue, I could usually follow council scenes, but they lost the impact they might have had if the characters were written more strongly.

Why on earth is so much of the male population in the world of The Hidden Queen composed of creeps? Maybe I’m just sheltered/blessed and surrounded by rare guys, but it seems hard for me to believe that there would be so many guys trying to take advantage of women at every turn. And it didn’t seem to add anything to the story except romantic tension (which surely could have been achieved a different way) and revealing one character’s true identity (again, could have been done some other way). I do understand the one related to Esther’s backstory, but the rest seem excessive.

On a related note, I feel like this book tried to hit too many “tough” topics at once. The aforementioned creeps, the revelation of a character’s sexuality… neither of these added to the story. The religious conflict was good. That was one part of the book I did think was well-done, and it was an issue that added to the story. But it was sufficient on its own without the other issues thrown in.

Almost all of the character relationships felt rushed. Gwen and Charles, Gwen and Nate, Gwen and her mom (I don’t think that a mother and daughter who’ve been separated for ages would be “talking like old friends” the second time they see each other, or that a mother would give her daughter a cutesie nickname on their second meeting?), they just all felt rushed. At a slower pace, I think they all would have worked fine, but as it was they felt kind of unnatural and forced.

But on to some things I did like.

Charles. Though I wasn’t a fan of how uptight he was, I liked how protective and sweet he was, and I did kind of admire that he valued his duty so highly.

Nate. I may be biased because he has red hair and freckles, but he was my favorite character. He was kind and understanding, his faith effectively shined through in his actions, and he reminded me of a couple of my chronically ill friends of mine who are so incredibly hopeful and have rock-solid faith despite their struggles. My only problem with him, as I mentioned above, was that his interest in Gwen seemed rushed.

Jakob. Quirky, possibly-insane characters are some of my favorites in fiction, and in the beginning of the book Jakob definitely fits this bill. He was a lot of fun, and mixed with his wisdom and patience I really enjoyed him. Toward the end of the book he started to lose my interest, but I still admired his firm belief in what he taught and his patience and compassion toward Gwen.

The religious clashing. This was the one issue and the one thread in general that I thought was written and handled the best. It added to the story, it was thought-provoking, and I thought the parallels between the fictional religions and real religions were interesting. I only wish that strength had been used more as a base for the story and that the author had been able to build off of it more effectively. I think this could have been a really great, effective story if the author had played off her strengths more and sent it through a few rounds of professional editing.

Character Interview: Ilene Jade

The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles is releasing TODAY! :D In celebration, here’s an interview with Ilene Jade, with a little bonus at the end… Enjoy!

Ilene: *enters the interview room and takes a seat* Hello.

Interviewer: Hello. How are you today?

Ilene: Fine. How are you?

Interviewer: Doing all right. Are you ready to begin?

Ilene: *nods*

Interviewer: What is your name?

Ilene: Ilene Jade.

Interviewer: How old are you?

Ilene: Twenty-eight.

Interviewer: Do you have any siblings?

Ilene: Two stepsisters.

Interviewer: Sounds like the fairytale, Cinderella. Are they nice?

Ilene: Neither of them likes me, so not especially. One of them is plenty nice to everyone else, the other is rude to everyone unless she’s trying to flatter a boy.

Interviewer: That sounds less than ideal. Do you have a job?

Ilene: I’m part of Princess Eira’s personal guard.

Interviewer: What do you think of your job?

Ilene: *shrugs* It pays well.

Interviewer: I’d imagine. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Ilene: It depends on the day, and who I’m with.

Interviewer: What is your favorite food?

Ilene: Powdered sugar strawberries.

Interviewer: Favorite color?

Ilene: Black.

Interviewer: Do you like to read?

Ilene: I don’t have time for it.

Interviewer: What is your favorite animal?

Ilene: Dogs. Especially Black Labradors.

Interviewer: What are your hobbies?

Ilene: Cards, sparring, an occasional chess match with Princess Eira.

Interviewer: Which of these is most important to you: kindness, intelligence, or bravery?

Ilene: Intelligence.

Interviewer: And honesty or selflessness?

Ilene: Honesty.

Interviewer: What’s something you can’t leave home without?

Ilene: A knife.

Interviewer: Thank you for your time.

Ilene: *nods and leaves*

Now, the promised bonus… a giveaway of a signed paperback copy of The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Language of Worlds Link-Up #4

This is my absolute last opportunity to do this link-up, seeing as it’s the March-April edition and today is the last day of April. You see how good my planning skills have been this month. XD

In honor of The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles releasing tomorrow, I’m going to answer these questions for Eira Evanly, the antagonist of TM-HC.

1. What’s your character’s favorite song?

She’d enjoy New Romantics by Taylor Swift.

2. What makes their soul thrive?

In her mind, power. In reality she knows it’s love, but she chooses to ignore that because of past experiences.

3. Describe their typical outfit.

She generally wears red, black, and silver, and she likes dramatic gowns. The dress we see her in in Apple of My Eye is a voluminous red gown with a silver-embroidered sweetheart neckline and long sleeves. She also often wears a red cloak.

4. What do they look like? (Share a picture, if you want!)

Basically like that. ^ Dark hair, pale skin, brown almond-shaped eyes, ruby red lips. She’s Snow White, so…

5. Who cares most about them?

Currently? I guess Alphen, since he’s really the only one left. She killed or drove away everyone who really cared about her.

6. Have they been called names beyond their own? (i.e. nicknames, insults, etc.)

Traitor is probably the big one.

7. What is their Hogwarts house and/or MBTI personality?

She’d be a Slytherin, and probably an ESTJ.

8. Is there a psalm they identify with? What is it?

Given that most of the Psalms are about God providing for the righteous and destroying the wicked and she falls into the latter camp… not really.

9. How do they handle defeat?

She fumes, she gets back up, and she uses that anger to fuel her next attempts and make them stronger.

10. Without spoilers, how are they the hero of this story? (Even if they’re the villain!)

She leads Solem to achieve his goal, though that was not her intention.

4-Part WIP Special – Part 4: Ultimate Goals

We have reached the last week of the 4-Part WIP Special. D: This week is diving into long-term, ultimate goals, so let’s go out with a bang.

 

What is one of the BIGGEST dreams or goals you have for your life?

Overall, to travel all over the world. I want to see as much as it as I possibly can, learn about things firsthand, gain more experiences to use in my writing, spread the love of Christ, all that jazz.

As far as only writing is concerned… I think I’d like to publish at least a hundred books before I die.

Name the wildest goal you’ve got! (Don’t worry: we won’t judge.)

Those two up there.

What goal scares you the most? Why?

Currently? My goal to go to RealmMakers next year. I’m SUPER EXCITED about the idea, but also I’m afraid I’ll end up staying in my little bubble, hiding in my comfort zone all week like I do most places and won’t get to fully enjoy it. Last year I would have interpreted that as being afraid of meeting people, but that’s really not what it is. It’s my fear that I’m afraid of, I guess. XD

What steps do you need to do to reach some of your goals?

*long sigh* Oh boy. I have so many goals with so many steps. XD I guess I’ll stick with RealmMakers for now. I want to have a completed novel when I get there, so I can pitch it and not waste the opportunity. Traditional publishing isn’t my ultimate goal, but I definitely want to try it at least once and see how it works and get familiar with the process and get a book or series traditionally published. In order to do this, I have to finish The Masked Captain (this is the one I’ve deciding to pitch) and go through at least one round of editing. I also want to get paperbacks from a couple of authors I’m looking forward to meeting, and probably get a second suitcase just to haul all the books I want to get signed. XD I want to cosplay (again, mostly for the experience and saying I’ve done it), so I’ll need to decide a character to go as and acquire the pieces for my costume. And I’ll need to raise the money to actually get there and attend the conference. So… lots of steps. XD

Have your ultimate goals changed?  Have you decided not to do something, or to do things differently?

In what time-frame are we talking? Eight years ago I still wanted to be a private detective or a spy when I grew up, despite how much I enjoyed writing and how terrible my skills of observation were (and still sometimes are). Two years ago, I had no dreams of traveling the world, or of going into youth/music ministry. Now I do. But, in general, my writing goals have stayed the same since I was ten-ish: I want to be a proficient author, and I want that to be my primary career.

Do you plan to finish your current story ideas and then do other things in the future, or do you see yourself always having some story in the works?

I will always be working on a story, until the day I die, if not by choice then because I can’t stop the story ideas flooding my brain on a daily basis. But it’ll probably be by choice.

If you could get only one book/trilogy/series published, what would it be?

So I want to say my whole Hylands series, because they’re super close to my heart and I’m excited to rebuild them and share them. But, really, I’d publish The Dark War Trilogy. I’ve spent too much time on it and it has too big a meaning for me to not publish it, and really it means more to me to share that one than it does for me to share the Hylands series. I’d be okay with just having those finished, I think.

Realistically, where do you see yourself in the future?

This is an extremely vague question. Next year? In five years? In fifty years?

Let’s just go with five. I’ll be twenty-two-ish. Let’s say I’ve published three novels (and several more short stories, probably), I’ve been out of the country once, I’ve tried YouTube and if I liked it I have an ongoing channel, I’ve finished (or mostly finished) my rebuild of Aleruus for all those old “novels” I wrote, I’ve been to RealmMakers at least once, and I’m a camp counselor.

Reality aside, where would you like to be in the future?

Again, five years. I’ve published four novels (one traditionally), been out of the country once, tried YouTube, finished my rebuild of Aleruus and re-written at least the first Hylands book, been to RealmMakers every year since 2020, and I’m married and work with my husband in youth/music ministry in the church. Oh, and at least the first drafts of The Dark War Trilogy are finished.

Do you see yourself as a Writer, or just someone who writes?

Definitely as a writer, though personally I’d use the term author because I intend to publish regularly. To me “someone who writes” is someone who writes just to write, which is awesome. A “writer” is someone who publishes once or twice but doesn’t really consider it their career. An “author” is someone who’s dedicated to their craft and wishes to make a career out of it. So I consider myself an author, or a writer on her way to becoming an author.

4-Part WIP Special – Part 3: Yearly Goals

This week’s WIP Special theme is yearly writing goals… of which I have a lot.

Name your yearly (writing) goals!

At the beginning of the year, this was my list:

Write 2k per day
Write a short story per month
Publish Slander & Steel
Publish The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles
Complete a short novel
Finish The Shadow Raven
Outline Unstoppable
Finish Short Story Collection Vol. 2
Finish Memories & Photographs
Win all three NaNoWriMo events
Publish Caithan

I updated that at the beginning of this month (the beginning of this quarter) and it now looks like this:

Write 2k per day
Write The Masked Captain
Finish The Shadow Raven
Publish Slander & Steel
Publish The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles
Win all three NaNoWriMo events
Write a short story each month
Publish Caithan

So… it’s still a lot. But I got more specific about my “short novel” and trimmed off a couple of goals that I wasn’t as excited about.

Which goal are you most looking forward to starting/completing? Why?

Currently, publishing The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. It’s the first thing I’m really excited about publishing that I’ve gotten into the actual process of publishing, and I want to share it with people so they can enjoy it.

Is there any goal that you aren’t that enthusiastic about completing? Why?

Writing a short story each month. I don’t know why that didn’t get cut when I updated my goals. I’m still kind of tired of short stories, so I’m still not super excited to write more of them.

Did you maybe set too many goals for this year?

Almost certainly.

How do you keep on track/accountable with your goals?

I have my goals divvied up into months (e.g. write The Masked Captain in April, edit it in August, etc.), and I have a goals checklist each month in my bullet journal. Then each quarter I’m going to go in and update my year-long goals to be more realistic (hopefully) and cut out those that I’m not motivated about for this year.

Have you told your family about any of your goals? What do they think about your goals?

I told my sister and my mom. I don’t remember what my mom’s reaction was, but my sister thinks I’m crazy and overambitious. Which is probably correct.

Are you planning to do NaNoWriMo in November?  If so, do you know what you will be writing?

I know I’m planning to do it. I don’t know at the moment what I’ll be writing. The two most likely contenders are The Shadow Raven and a couple of Kersir novellas, but we’ll find out when we get there. :)

Are you nervous about any of your goals?  Are some out of your comfort zone?

I wouldn’t say nervous, exactly. I’m not sure about getting some of them done, but none of them are especially outside of my comfort zone.

How are you doing on your goals so far?

I’m not writing close to 2k most days
I’m in the midst of writing The Masked Captain
I’m not sure I’ve written anything on The Shadow Raven this year, and if I did it was in January or February and that’s it
My dad has said he’s going to pay for one of the editors for Slander & Steel so that when I launch another Kickstarter I’ll be one step closer in the process, but I’m not sure when that’s going to be (I’d love to start making money somehow and be able to pay for the editor myself, but so far there’s been no luck in that department)
I’m in the middle of a blog tour for The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles, but my mom and I need to do the formatting and we haven’t gotten a time to sit down and do that yet (it will be done before the launch, I promise)
So far I am not on track to win April’s Camp NaNo, so my goal of winning all three could be dead by the end of the month.
Like I said, I’m not sure why the short story a month is still on the list. I haven’t even been working toward this one.
Caithan has a short version completed (has since December) and a longer version half-finished that I plan to finish next month.

Other participants:
Jules
Nicole
Faith
Sarah
Catherine
Ceci

The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles Blog Tour!

Today marks the beginning of the blog tour for The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles! I’m super excited to share with you the book reviews, character interviews, and author interviews that are in store! I’ll be sharing the posts on social media the day they’re posted, but if you don’t have social media or just don’t want to follow me, you can come back here and check out the post for each day.

Facebook – Twitter – Instagram

All the fairytales you’ve heard are wrong, but I’m here to set the record straight.

I’m Solem Anders, Mirror-Hunter, and this is what really happened.

A Series of Unfortunate Events meets Disney in this short story series as Solem Anders pursues a volatile magic mirror across Farilin, seeking to destroy it and end its trail of tragedy. But when princess Eira steps in his path and enlists his help to overthrow her mother, he is lured into her Pack by the promise of information. Is this the shortest path to the mirror, or just a treacherous diversion?

With the mirror barely out of reach, Solem’s time is ticking away, and he’ll lose far more than a princess when the clock strikes.

Release date: May 1, 2019

Goodreads page

About the Author:

R.M. Archer has been an avid reader since she was a toddler and has always been a lover of story. Her first exploration of the other side of the page was a mystery at age seven, and though her preferred genre has changed, her interest in writing has not. She’s a homeschooled teenager living with her family in northern Virginia.

Blog Tour Schedule:
April 17th

R.M. Archer – Blog tour introduction

Kate Flournoy – Author interview

Rae Marie – Book review

April 18th

Acacia Barnes – Character interview (Kinley Charlton)

April 20th

Alabama – Author interview

April 22nd

Allie Lee – Book review

April 23rd

NC Stokes – Character interview (Solem Anders)

April 24th

Annie Twitchell – Book review

April 25th

Bethi – Book review

April 28th

Dawn Dagger – Character interview (Anson Anders)

April 29th

Chelsea R.H. – Author interview

April 30th

Dawn Dagger – Book review